At some point in our lives we eventually experience states of mind that change our posture appreciably. For example, when we become or show ourselves to be a melancholic person eventually. Check out the meaning of melancholy and some basic characteristics of this mental state.

What is melancholy?

Melancholy is a stage of deep and prolonged sadness In this, it is common for the melancholic to feel a mixture of sadness and apathy wrapped in anguish and loneliness. Such a state has been a building block for many novelists and other artists to do their work over time.

This state of mind is common to everyone, as certain events can lower our mood. However, when it goes beyond a certain point it proves detrimental, even if it seems silly. One of the first areas affected is social performance, as the urge to isolate oneself can increase dramatically.

The melancholic person's condition can last for a long time and become difficult to detect at first, thanks to which many can give up their personal and professional lives in favor of this state of introspection. This can easily evolve into a depressive condition and require professional monitoring.

The discovery of melancholy

The origin of melancholy is somewhat uncertain, just like any other mood disorder. And for some specialists, the evolution of science has contributed to a greater research in the area and the naming of some disorders has occurred. And it was no different with melancholy.

Hippocrates, known as the "father of medicine", baptized this deep sadness as melancholia. The term is the junction of the following two words:

• melan which means black;
• cholis (bile) being translated as "black bile".

This deep sadness has as consequences the loss of appetite and insomnia. Hippocrates pointed out that this excess of black bile in our organism, could cause this sadness and anguish. That is, together they are the characteristics of melancholy.

Causes

According to Freud, melancholy has no visible reason for its appearance and is more like a stage of melancholic mourning, there is the feeling of losing someone and even though it is not true, it reminds one of neediness In this, there would be a sentimental narcissism in which the individual focuses more on himself.

There is a tendency for this person to belittle himself or herself by feeling incapable or useless. Freud seemed even annoyed to point out that the melancholic was an extremely boring person when referring to his or her posture. However, he pointed out that there was a tendency to remain unchanged and show no initiative in changing his or her condition.

However, their environment and social circle may be collaborating to the permanence of this. This apathy felt in relation to the world would be a block to avoid further suffering, although it would have the opposite effect.

Melancholy X sadness

While melancholy can be classified as a psychological disorder, the simpler sadness is a common emotional state. This ultimately makes it distinct from depression, although it may be associated at first glance. There is an inexplicable, vague, tenuous sadness here, and it is baffling when it comes to pinpointing the cause .

However, when done in a healthy way, a phase of introspection can contribute to full attention. Here one expands one's awareness of the present, broadening one's intuition and emotional grasp of others. However, if melancholy is prolonged for too long it can have a major impact on physical and mental health.

Richard Baxter, a 17th century theologian, stated that too much sadness compromised one's reasoning, judgment, and hope. Modern medicine, on the other hand, pointed to the loss in feeling pleasure and clinical depression if it lasted too long. In this, they indicate that this melancholic state should be seen without romanticism and as a mental health problem.

Mourning and Melancholy by Freud

In the work Grief and Melancholy of 1917 Freud argued that melancholy and mourning were similar reactions to loss. However, they differ in terms of how one lives the mourning in question where one deals with the sadness of the loss consciously. On the other hand, the melancholic state the loss comes from something without identification or understanding and the process occurs unconsciously .

Therefore, mourning is seen as a healthy and natural process, since there is the catalyst of loss. The melancholic phase is seen as an illness, needing an approach to treatment.

Characteristics of melancholia

In many aspects melancholia resembles depression or other similar disorders, which requires a closer look in order to make a more precise and qualified diagnosis:

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1 - Apathy

It is very difficult for anything to move you or even allow you to feel anything, because it is characteristic of a "block". There is an emptiness and loneliness here that inhibits an emotional approach to people or situations. Using impoverished language as an example, you become an emotional zombie.

2 - Isolation

The outside world doesn't seem so attractive to receive and deserve any kind of interaction. Even if your seclusion doesn't interfere with how you feel, at least it prevents your energy from being wasted. The problem begins to worsen because you reach a fine line of depression.

3 - Discouragement

A melancholic person will not take much interest in even the simplest activities that will get him out of that state. He lacks motivation, and since his emotional state is in decline, he will not be shaken by anything.

How it affects our life

Although it goes unnoticed by some, the way melancholy leads one to live becomes a problem. As said lines above, this prolonged state compromises the accomplishment of our tasks and activities, such as:

Work

It is difficult to evolve within the work, because there is a lack of a trigger for you to produce satisfactorily. So much so that it is common in many cases for their performance to decline and this can be noticed If this is the case, the loss of work through absence or dismissal will not make much difference to the melancholic.

Social Life

The apathy you feel makes everything more empty, uninteresting, and unmotivating to live with.

Relationships

The willingness to connect emotionally with someone is compromised because of the emotional limitation we have. Melancholics often withdraw noticeably from their partner even if unintentionally and compromise the bond they share.

Treatment of melancholia

Care for melancholy happens with psychotherapy, a way to work on your mind and emotions. Besides being a way to understand yourself, you can have more clarity about the possible causes. This can help model your posture as an exercise to prevent declines and move negative behaviors .

Going further, medications such as antidepressants can help with the reactions and symptoms involved. They will help you control your mood, so that you can try to achieve emotional balance. From here thoughts can be experienced in a healthier and less harmful way.

In addition, a balanced diet and exercise routine can help in the release of mood-boosting substances. This combination will help you regain your attitude toward life's pleasures. Not to mention the symptoms you feel, as they decrease and you regain more control of yourself.

Final considerations on melancholy

Melancholy shows how fragile and vulnerable we are to emotional tremors that continually deepen There is a certain opposition of the melancholic to the world, for while he doesn't feel it, everything else notices its absence. This can mean the loss of important experiences in his development and maturation.

If necessary, seek professional help to deal with this case properly. There is great danger in the apparent complacency in withdrawing from everything, including yourself.

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A great support for such occasions is our online course in Clinical Psychoanalysis. Besides improving your self-knowledge, you can polish the tools you need to reach your full potential. This means understanding more of yourself and ensuring security to adequately deal with melancholy or any emotional discomfort .