Melancholy And Depression: Why Is This Feeling Linked To A Disorder?
Why is melancholy linked to depression? How can we detect if we are facing melancholic depression? Discover its symptoms and how to address it.
The melancholia It is a type of major depressive disorder that is mainly characterized by a total loss of pleasure in everything or almost everything. According to research, people who suffer from this type of depression have a higher risk of unemployment, experiencing psychotic symptoms and even more prone to thoughts related to suicide. But how can you identify this type of depression?
The word melancholy comes from ancient Greece. This concept was used to describe a feeling of constant sadness and despair. Although in many cases it is used to describe the feeling of a loss of opportunities or moments from the past, when this feeling becomes too present in our lives it can indicate that there is a mental health problem.
Symptoms of melancholic depression
Mainly, the symptoms of melancholic depression include the following:
Sadness, despair and emptiness: People may experience a depressed mood characterized mainly by deep depression, despair and emptiness. This may involve feeling that your life has no concrete meaning or that you cannot even find it.
Changes in appetite: The low mood typical of depression can affect people’s appetite, causing either an increase or a detriment to it.
Feelings of guilt: The person may feel guilty for having these feelings or be going through a ‘bad patch’.
Stop enjoying: Another sign that may indicate melancholic depression is stopping enjoying activities that used to be fun or entertaining for the person.
Not responding to pleasure positively: People may stop experiencing pleasure in their lives.
Sleep problems: Experiencing difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or even waking up too early.
Difficulties concentrating: Depression can also affect the ability to maintain concentration, causing many difficulties in focusing on a specific activity.
In addition to all these symptoms, different research has shown that around 70% of people with melancholic depression They may also suffer from musculoskeletal pain.
What causes melancholic depression?
He onset of melancholic depression It is not usually caused by a specific event. In fact, the exact causes of depression are unclear, although genetics, family history, past trauma, brain chemistry, and hormones can play a role.
How to deal with melancholy?
This type of depression It is usually characterized by experiencing very deep feelings of sadness, loss of pleasure, and lack of interest in daily activities, which ends up causing significant alterations in a person’s ability to function correctly in different areas of their life. Therefore, if you suspect that you are experiencing melancholic depression, it is important that you go to a psychology professional. Additionally, it is recommended to take into account the following tips:
Focus on your self-care: Taking care of yourself inside and out will help you feel much better. Therefore, it may be a good idea to start exercising regularly, eat in a balanced way and, above all, dedicate time during the day to being with yourself.
Spend more time with friends and loved ones: In many cases, people suffering from depression may end up avoiding social contact. This ends up making feelings of sadness and worthlessness increasingly present, so it is important to try to avoid social isolation.
Meditate: Meditation is a practice that allows you to address negativity as well as negative self-talk. Therefore, it is an effective strategy to deal with some of the symptoms linked to depression.
Take care of your rest: Use strategies to achieve deeper, higher quality sleep. This may mean not using screens before bed or cutting back on caffeinated beverages.
The melancholic depression It can end up affecting our work, school, social and family life. Even so, there are many effective treatments that can help you deal with this disorder and regain balance in your life.
