Depression, Anger and 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
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.

Prevention/Solution
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.

How to Treat Major Depression

Major depression is more than just the feelings of the blues. People who have major depression, experience more severe symptoms. Many people feel tired or heavy as if they don't have enough energy to make it through normal everyday activities. Major depression can develop over time or after a traumatizing event. Sometimes women go through a major depression or postpartum blues after the birth of a child. Signs of major depression include change in appetite, weight gain or weight loss, trouble sleeping, difficulty focusing, low interest with intimacy, chronic pain, digestive difficulties, and thoughts of suicide or death. If you are struggling with major depression, here are some treatments to help your life get back to normal.

Tips

1. See a psychiatrist who specializes in major depression and talk about antidepressants. Many times major depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, and antidepressants can help restore chemical imbalance. Antidepressants should only be taken under a doctor's supervision. There may also be side effects. However, antidepressants have helped millions of people find recovery from major depression.

2. Talk with a psychiatrist about cognitive therapy for major depression. Cognitive therapy works by helping patients alter critical self-evaluations, pessimistic feelings, and sensitivity to life's problems and challenges. By learning new coping skills, cognitive therapy helps people with major depression change their attitudes and have more realistic and less stressful attitudes towards life.

3. To treat major depression, it is possible to get to the root of the problem through psychotherapy. The aim of psychotherapy is to talk and analyze a past traumatic event or events that are the underlying causes of major depression. Many times patients with major depression cannot remember the events that are affecting their lives. Nonetheless, the stress and trauma are causing an inability to function normally in everyday life.

4. Eat a healthy diet and take supplements to treat the symptoms of major depression. Many people claim to feel better by avoiding sugar and taking St. John's Wort. Other supplements to help major depression include vitamin B12, zinc, gingko balboa and 5-Hydroxytryptophan. Keep in mind that most people with major depression need antidepressants, and there may be interactions when taking supplements and prescription medication together.

5. Start a regular exercise routine to treat major depression. A good cardio and strength training program have helped many people overcome feelings of major depression. Exercise increases the "feel good" chemicals in the brain like dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, which ease the symptoms of major depression

6. Consider taking a holistic approach to treat major depression. Many people take antidepressants, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and work with a therapist to recover from major depression.