Emotional characteristics of depression

Question 1

What is a lowered mood?

Answer 1

• When the word ‘depressed’ is used in everyday life, it is usually describing having a lowered mood (feeling sad)
• It is a defining emotional element of depression but it is more pronounced than in the daily kind of experience of feeling lethargic and sad. Patients often describe themselves as ‘worthless’ and ‘empty’.

Question 2

What is anger?

Answer 2

• Sufferers tend to experience more negative emotions and fewer positive ones during episodes of depression, but this experience of negative emotions is not limited to sadness.
• Sufferes of depression also frequently experience anger, sometimes extreme anger. This can be directed at the self or others.
• Such emotions can lead to agressive or self-harming behaviour.