Analysis Of Historical Understandings Of Depression

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An interesting two-part article on “Historical Understandings of Depression” covers how depression has been accepted by society, from its roots as “melancholia” in Mesopotamian texts of the second millennium B.C., to the way that depression is currently interpreted in the society of today. Initially, it was widely believed that mental illnesses, including the “melancholia” we know today as depression, were believed to be inflicted by spiritual evil, such as demons, witches and devils. Treatments consisted of exorcisms and torturous methods such as drowning, beatings, restraint and starvations, as it was believed that these methods of treatment would ward off the evil spirits that were responsible for melancholia. Alternatively, Greek physician

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