Understanding Melancholic Depression with Help from a Home Care Service

Melancholic depression is a type of severe depression where someone’s mood is persistently sad. Melancholic depression is a type of major depressive disorder (the clinical term for depression, also known as MDD), and loved ones who frequently suffer from MDD may be more likely to have melancholic depression. Today, our home care service is going to discuss the dangers and symptoms of melancholic depression.

Melancholic depression differs from normal MDD because people with the disorders aren’t able to change their emotions. They remain in a depressed state, and anything that normally would give them pleasure causes no change. Melancholic depression is particularly dangerous to older adults, because a lack of responsiveness may be accidentally diagnosed as dementia. To make matters worse, depression can actually lead to dementia, and the two disorders are comorbid. Our home care service warns that if melancho0lic depression is left untreated, it can lead to earlier dementia systems, which leads to a downward health spiral as the two disorders make each other worse.

The symptoms of melancholic depression are broken down into 2 components: symptoms of depression, and symptoms of melancholy. Some common signs our home care service recommends watching for are:

• Consistent feelings of sadness
• Constant fatigue, no matter how their diet or sleep changes
• A loss of interest in activities they used to like
• A mental fog, such as difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• Persistent feelings of anxiety or irritability
• Abnormal sleeping or eating habits

  The specific symptoms of melancholy include:

• A loss of pleasure from most daily activities
• The inability to react well to positive events
• Intense feelings of guilt, despair, or worthlessness

A doctor can help diagnose melancholic depression, and help your loved one handle the disorder. Some types of antidepressents are particularly effective at handling melancholic depression, so distinguishing between normal MDD and this pronounced version is important. Therapy sessions can also help with melancholic depression, either one-on-one or in a group.