My T always tells me depression is anger turned inward. She says the same thing about my self-destructive behaviors. Do you think its true with you guys? I'm not sure.

[Overcastbutclearing]

That is a good question. I guess maybe it is an anger about how we low we feel. And how hard we think life has been or is.
They say depression is anger turned inways.
All I know is.....life can suck!

[silver_queen]

I have read about depression being anger turned inwards too, and I'm really not sure. Perhaps for some people, the anger produces the depression, but I can't see it always being the source of depression.

[LMo]

While I have never experienced depression, I can completely believe that based on how my husband says he felt, the things that triggered him, how he behaved while depressed... makes complete sense to me in his case.

[Wants2Fly]

I think it is sometimes. But not always. I wonder if there is any really conclusive research about it.

[jmo531]

I think my depression started out as anger, although I didnt know it the time. Going to therapy has made me see that. For a better part of 2 years I spent being angry. At everything and everyone. Its a wonder I'm still married. I think that every little thing would set me off because inside I didnt want to face the real truth. Now I am facing it. Slowly, but never the less facing it and I'm turning my anger around.

This may sound wierd but my t belieces, and I'm coming around to this idea, that there are two primary emotions in the world. All the other emotions stem from those. The two are fear and love. I'm not even gonna try to explain it. It makes sense, but I don't have the words to say how.

Ry

[vacantangel]

I guess I'm in the minority here or else I'm not 'getting it'. I don't see depression as anger. I see it as hurt or giving up. I do think that 'anger' starts out as 'hurt' but I'm not seeing depression derived from anger.

[LMo]

Angel, when you say things like 'giving up', that to me seems like anger -- either at yourself for not succeeding, or at others for disappointing you.

ps - I'm going to be out of town for the next week starting tomorrow morning, so I might not be able to reply, ok?

[vacantangel]

I can see why you might consider that anger but I still think it is hurt. You hurt so much that you see no other alternative but to give up. Maybe I'm wrong.

Enjoy your week. Thanks for letting me know. I would've worried about you.

[JL4C]

I think it be sometimes. I know with mine, I had some anger towards my mother because she emotionally neglected me, but it was much more a feeling of sorrow or being hurt. Same with the self-destruction... For me, that was being angry at myself or at the world or at nothing. I definitely see where your T is coming from.

[Poppet]

It can be. What about if when you are small someone does something to you that is horrible. Because you are so small that you don't know how to react (an adult would probably get angry and tell the horrible person where to go !) when it happens.
You (not being aware of this at the time, if ever) think its about you and begin to feel there is something hateful about yourself.
Anger which should have gone to the horrible person has twisted round and landed on you. Anger/hatred of yourself gets rooted in your brain which leads to depression.
This is one of my views on longer term depression (like mine) but could apply whenever a person can't show their anger at its target - it has to go somewhere and turns to the familiar self hatred.
Anger and hate are cut from the same cloth, I think.

Hope thats not too much of a jumble - took a lot out of me to do that -phew !

Poppet

[Myzen]

Hi esthers,

Well, there is the debate on whether depression is coming from a chemical imbalance or rooted in experience, depending on whether we follow the psychopharmacy angle or the therapy angle.

A psychologist said that depression can come from a string of bad experiences and failures, which makes sense. It would follow that a person in this situation would be bottling up some frustrated anger along the way. However, some people seem to be able to bounce back OK and others fold up. It's a complicated issue.

IMHO some people are more vulnerable to depression than others. I certainly believe that poor parental bonding increases vulnerability to later depression, and sadly these are the very people likely to have the hard life experiences which they are ill fitted to cope with.

My own depression is characterised by a powerful but long suppressed anger against my parents, something that I have not always been able to recognise. Therapy helps.

In order to stop being angry, you need to know that you are angry in the first place, which is the first step towards a more normal life.

So, anger and depression? Yes, definitely connected in my view.

Cheers, Myzen.

[Kalamity]

Is loneliness really anger? Is greiving really anger? Is disappointment really anger? Is pain really anger? Is every negative feeling really anger?

I don't think so.

Thanks all.. From everything you guys have said, I think depression can be:
1. Sadness and overwhelming pain
2. Hopelessness
3. Anger
4. Frustration
5. Chemical issues

[Roy21]

Since being diagnosed with depression in August 2004 i have realised that hwith my depression it gets alot worse when i think too much about different things that have happened or been said to me that i believe to be negative things. The more i think about the things ive done wrong in my life the more angry i become with myself and i continually search for an answer to all the things that i feel i have done wrong. I blame everything on myself and i know it is anger with myself for not being able to deal with different situations better. It seems the more i think about things the more the anger with myself builds and the more depressed i become until i feel i can nolonger take it anymore and feel like im going to loose it. But i would definatly have to say that the thing that makes my depression worse is beating myself up over things that i havnt been able to deal with or let go of. This is just my personal experience and everyone is different i think what causes depression its different for every person but anger upon myself definatly makes my depression a great deal worse.

[Myzen]

Hi Roy,

I'd just like to say that I'm with you on that one. I know the feeling only too well.

Once we know that we are prone to doing this to ourselves I think we need to get help and learn some strategies, and hopefuly start to let it go. Being depressed is bad enough, without blaming ourselves as well!

Cheers, Myzen.

[Wants2Fly]

Excellent summary, EsthersVirtue

[Eva1nder]

Isn't anger really in part fear?

oops yes. add fear to the list too. or maybe feelings that we can't confront our fear or overcome it.. which is alot like frustration too i guess.
Thanks Eva!

[Eva1nder]