Posted by Noa on May 24, 2001, at 12:35:29
In reply to Re: is anger a sign of depression or.....?, posted by loosmrbls on May 24, 2001, at 11:09:58
The mood lability, anger outbursts, avoidance of reading to the kids and other activities, possible social withdrawal or possible preoccupation with certain activities could potentially be explained by several causes, alone or in combination. (there is the abusive childhood, for example, or perhaps there is some kind of mood disorder, or perhaps ADHD, or maybe even a reading disability to boot, or some other cause---those are things to explore once you consult a professional, and they are conjecture at this point).
I think you want to stay away from jumping on a diagnosis or treatment and focus more on communicating to him how his moodiness and outbursts affect you personally as his wife, and that you need him to seek consultation because not only are you concerned about his well being but also about the well being of yourself and of the marriage. You don't want to scare him by cornering him into some preselected dx or treatment plan. He is skeptical about trusting a mental health professional as it is, so you want to help him check out one or two or three to see how they are--are they someone that will respect him and listen to his point of view or will they call him crazy and impose some treatment against his will, which is often people's fear.
Good luck.
poster:Noa
thread:64067
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010522/msgs/64125.html