Discussion

Dr. Meadow: Thank you Dr. Roland. I would now like to ask Mrs. Taub to conclude her comments and to discuss the new papers.

Mrs. Taub: Since rage at his significant opponent, as noted earlier by Dr. Adler, is so predominant a feature of the depressed individual, his capacity for intimacy will often be blocked. When anger is experienced, one individual may withdraw, create a physical distance between himself and his opponent, refuse to communicate, and recoil at any attempt to be touched. Another will lash out verbally and/or physically at his opponent, or threaten or even attempt suicide as a means of revenge: “the ultimate punishment” to one's chief opponent. The depressed person may resort to any of these methods of expressing his feelings of rage or he may deny their existence and be genuinely unaware that his depression has anything at all to do with feelings of anger.

The common denominator in all of these reactions is the rage that creates distance between people, foments mistrust, and makes intimacy and open communication unattainable. Impeding the possibility for closeness, trust and open communication are several compelling fears. One great fear is that the extent of their rage will be discovered by others. This possibility generates the fear that any negative feelings expressed by them will subject them to criticism, rejection, and retaliation by others. Another typical concern is over losing control in the process of venting their rage.

When anger at a significant opponent has been neither recognized nor acknowledged by depressed persons, its suppression, or even a dim awareness of the rage, often leads to feelings of guilt, discouragement, worthlessness, low self-esteem, hopelessness, and confirmation of long held feelings of inadequacy. The depression is typically characterized by the subjectively held goal of dominating and exploiting others and is often expressed through a passive aggressive

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mode of relating to others. For such a person, it is clear th