Light Therapy For Depression

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also commonly known as winter depression, is a mood disorder commonly experienced by people during a specific season, more commonly winter. SAD sufferers manifest the symptoms of depression, but these tendencies eventually disappear once the season ends or if the person has gone through treatments like light therapy for depression.

SAD Symtoms

Like depression, SAD symptoms include difficulty waking up in the morning, tendency to oversleep and overeat, a drop in energy levels, difficulty in concentrating, and social isolation. Other indicators may be insomnia, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, and irritability. This condition has become so prevalent and serious that it has become categorized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) as one of the psychological issues listed there.

The diagnostic criteria for seasonal affective disorder are:

Yearly depressive episodes experienced at a specific time

Remissions or mania or hypomania episodes at a specific time of the year

The condition must last for two years, and the person should not suffer from major depressive episodes during the other seasons

The seasonal depression should outnumber all the other depressive episodes experienced by the person throughout his or her lifetime.

Other Theories On SAD

There are different theories on what causes SAD. Some doctors claim that it is the brains natural response to the lack of sunlight exposure. Other scientists say that the shorter days and longer nights change the normal levels of the bodys neurotransmitters, which are natural substances that help maintain homeostasis. Because of the increase of melatonin and the decrease of serotonin, seasonal depression occurs. Whatever the reason, the commonly accepted cause of the mood variations that characterize SAD is perceived to be the lack of sun as a result of the winter season. The most common prescription for treating this is light therapy for depression. For most people, the symptoms of SAD go away after a few sessions of seasonal affective disorder light therapy.

Light Therapy For SAD - How Does It Work?

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The amount of exposure to a light source as prescribed by experts of light therapy for depression is dependent on the severity of the condition. For those who are only experiencing mild symptoms of SAD, it may be enough to spend a few hours outdoors while there is still daylight, such as taking daily walks in the morning. However, those who are showing severe SAD signs would need longer and stronger doses. More often than not, these cases would need seasonal affective disorder light therapy with the aid of an artificial light source. This is usually recommended by doctors until the symptoms dissipate, or until enough sunlight is back for the person to regenerate from it.

Light therapy for depression should only be utilized under a licensed medical professionals watchful eye. This is because there may be people who may react negatively to it, even those who have SAD. An example of individuals who may not benefit from seasonal affective disorder light therapy includes people whose eyes and/or skin are highly sensitive to light.

Some of the best alternate light sources for light therapy for depression include the Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy Device and the NatureBright Sun Touch Plus Light And Ion Therapy Lamp. Both are portable lightboxes that have UV filters to protect the user while giving him or her the light that he or she so desperately needs. They also have adjustable settings, so people can just modify the controls to make it fit to their level of comfort. The recommended dose is between 15-45 minutes for the Philips light therapy device while its 20-30 minutes for the Uplift Technologies lamp. Ideally, using either of this should be the first thing that you do in the morning to experience the best results.

A few reviewers pointed out that light therapy lamp might take a week or two to work. Therefore, if you try light therapy and it doesn't work immediately, you may simply need to give it more time. Aside from SAD, light therapy can also be used to help treat bulimia nervosa, premenstrual syndrome, insomnia, and postpartum depression. Get rid of these disorders by going through light therapy for depression and gain back your energy and vigor.

The NatureBright Sun Touch Plus light therapy system provides a combination of powerful healing light therapy and negative ion therapy using 10,000 lux light. The Sun Touch lamp releasing healthy negative ions into the atmosphere, thus lifting your spirits and mood, similar to water fall or ocean breeze. Studies has shown that that ion therapy provides an automatic antidepressant effect in just within a few days of use.

Regular ionizers in the market are not made to combat winter blues or depression. NatureBright's ionizers uses advanced technology to create therapeutic levels of high density ions. In just 30 minutes a day, you can feel the difference in your mood, sleep cycles and energy levels. This light therapy is proven to reduce the effects of pre-menstrual symptoms (PMS) and sleep disorders without drugs and side effects.

This compact device is highly portable making it easy to bring it anywhere you want. The Sun Touch Plus also comes with a built in timer to help you control the length of your session. Sun Touch Plus automatically shuts off when your session is complete making sure you do not overuse your light.

Click here to learn more about NaturaBright Sun Touch Plus Therapy Lamp