A evolução do significado de melancolia: da filosofia à psicanálise

Abstract

The aim of this work is to understand the changes suffered in the meaning of melancholy throughout history. It had explored the transformations of naming, causes, classification, diagnosis, possible treatments or healing attempts and melancholy’s symptoms as well. Therefore, it was elected as a starting point the philosophical beginnings, in Greek mythology, going through Antiquity, Middle Age, Renaissance, Iluminism, Classical Psychiatry until the appearence of Psychoanalysis, a period marked by a subversion in the meaning of melancholy, due to the formulation of the unconscious theory. By approaching some important texts from Freudian's metapsycologie it was possible to make a more consistent structure of the concepts, in order to provide a better understanding of the psychoanalytic framework towards the final text, Mourning and Melancholy. The results point to a significant change in the meaning of melancholy in every sphere due to issues related to: history, religion, culture, society of each period, and the impact of the applied clinic on doctor / patient relationship in detriment of diseases, which had suffered relevant changes over time when it comes to: semiology, etiology, diagnostic basis, and therapy. Melancholy passed from the order of the mythical, the organic, the relationship with the Gods, the mystic, the influence of the planets among other causes, to the psychic, implying a paradigm’s break, which resulted in changes in the conception of their meaning in all extent of this theme