Melancholic
Melancholic
Melancholic (pronunciation: /ˌmelənˈkälik/) is a term used in psychology and psychiatry to describe a specific subtype of depression characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness or despair, lack of interest in activities, and other symptoms such as sleep and appetite disturbances.
Etymology
The term "melancholic" originates from the Greek word "melancholia," which translates to "black bile." This term was first used by Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, who believed that an excess of black bile in the body led to a melancholic temperament.
Related Terms
- Depression: A mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.
- Dysthymia: A chronic form of depression where a person's moods are regularly low, but symptoms are not as severe as with major depression.
- Bipolar Disorder: A disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs.
- Mood Disorders: Psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes.
Symptoms
Melancholic depression is characterized by a loss of pleasure in most or all activities, a failure of reactivity to pleasurable stimuli, a quality of depressed mood more pronounced than that of grief or loss, a worsening of symptoms in the morning hours, early morning waking, psychomotor retardation, excessive weight loss (not to be confused with Anorexia Nervosa), or excessive guilt.
Treatment
Treatment for melancholic depression often involves a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are commonly used. Psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or interpersonal therapy (IPT), can also be effective.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Melancholic
- Wikipedia's article - Melancholic
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski