The individual recognizes that the object of affection no longer exists. They undergo "reality-testing," which demands that all libido (emotional energy) be withdrawn from that object.
The melancholic suffers from intense self-criticism and guilt. Freud argues these insults are actually directed at the lost object but have been turned inward. 3. Key Mechanism: Identification On Freud's "Mourning and Melancholia"
Freud defines mourning as a natural, conscious process of grieving. The individual recognizes that the object of affection
Unlike the mourner, the melancholic may not know exactly what has been lost (e.g., they know who died, but not what that person represented to them). Freud argues these insults are actually directed at
Melancholia (closely related to what we now call clinical depression) is characterized by a "morbid" reaction to loss.
While the world feels "poor and empty" during mourning, the ego remains intact.
In his seminal essay, Sigmund Freud provides a comparative analysis of how humans process loss. While both "mourning" and "melancholia" are triggered by the same event—the loss of a loved one or an abstract ideal—Freud distinguishes them by their impact on the ego.