Loss, whether through death or a relationship's dissolution, alters our internal state, creating confusion and grief. Sigmund Freud identified two distinct responses to loss: mourning and melancholia. Mourning involves a gradual acceptance of loss, redirecting emotional energy while experiencing sadness and longing. In contrast, melancholia results in persistent feelings of emptiness and self-reproach, often without clear awareness of what has been lost. It mirrors mourning's sadness but deepens feelings of guilt and worthlessness, complicating the healing process.
Freud suggested that mourning is a painful process following the loss of someone loved, leading to acceptance, while melancholia is an elusive state related to depression.
In mourning, one experiences sadness and longing, with the mind gradually accepting loss, redirecting emotional energy to engage with the world.
Melancholia can leave individuals unaware of what is lost and may harbor feelings of emptiness, self-reproach, guilt, and loss of self-regard.
Both mourning and melancholia involve sadness and withdrawal, but melancholia features a deeper, often unrecognized personal loss that affects self-worth.
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