Depression, Anger & Rage Symptoms

Depression is a condition can affect anyone at any time in their lives. Depression goes beyond the usual emotional ups and downs that are a normal part of life. Left untreated or undiagnosed, severe depression can drive people to suicide. Other common psychological disorders related to depression are related to anger management and fits of rage. To treat these conditions, it's important to know the symptoms to diagnose them.

Misconceptions about Depression

    Depression is not, as is a common misconception, a sign of personal weakness--it isn't something you can just "get over." A common cause of depression is chemical imbalances in the brain or physical anomalies, but there are emotional components to depression. Negative thinking is not a cause of depression, as is commonly thought. Depression causes irrational degrees of negative thinking, but can be dealt with by the use of cognitive therapy.

Common Depression Symptoms

    A sad, angry, or hopeless mood that persists over a long period is the most common and noticeable symptom of depression. Other mental symptoms include the inability to concentrate on tasks, withdrawal from friends or social situations and poor memory. However, depression can affect the body as well. Loss or increase in appetite, which causes either weight loss or weight gain, is commonly reported. Changes in sleep patterns, such as insomnia--inability to sleep--and hypersomnia--oversleeping--are the two most common sleep-related symptoms of depression.

Anger Management Problems

    For those who are depressed, anger management is often a problem. There are two types of anger: passive and aggressive. Passive anger is directed inward, with behaviors such as excessive apologizing, self-blame, manipulation and lack of assertive confrontation of issues. Aggressive behavior is directed outward, either excessively or not at the cause of the anger. Shouting, threats or physical violence can occur toward people or objects. In extreme cases, people with anger-management issues can fall into a fit of rage.

What is Rage?

    Anger, according to the book "Understanding Anger Disorders," by Raymond DiGiuseppe and Raymond Tafrate, consists of a spectrum of emotions. Annoyance is the mildest form of anger, and rage is the most intense. It's a remnant of early evolution--the fight-or-flight response that enables us to deal with threats. People in a state of rage become physically violent, and are unable to be calmed until the source of anger is no longer present or the person is incapacitated. Rage is a primal reaction, considered to be an emergency state. People who have feelings of rage on a regular basis tend to be depressed as well. When feelings of rage are repressed, they can cause stress on the heart.

Depression Treatment and Prevention

    Depression, anger and rage symptoms are treatable. Depression can be medicated to treat the chemical imbalances present in the brain, and cognitive-behavioral therapy can be used as a teaching tool to deal with the negative thought processes. Anger management classes teach healthy anger responses such as breathing exercises, meditation and communication exercises.