Feeling BLAH in the grey skies & shorted day light?
If you find yourself struggling with your energy level during the Fall to Winter months where are skis are grey and our daylight is short, you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder. This email is for you and provides some helpful ways to feel more energized.
Light therapy: Not just for seasonal depression?
Bright light therapy can help ease SAD and major depression
The transition from fall to winter means grayer skies, shorter days, and for some people, the return of seasonal affective disorder. With the acronym of SAD, this disorder has symptoms similar to depression (such as feeling sad, listless, and sluggish) but occurs only during the late fall and early winter.
Light therapy — which involves sitting close to a special light source every morning for at least 30 minutes — can help improve SAD. But many people don't realize that this therapy can also be effective for major depression and depression that occurs during or after pregnancy, known as perinatal depression.
For both seasonal and nonseasonal depression, the effectiveness of light therapy is approximately the same as antidepressant medications, or popular forms of psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Although evidence varies from study to study, each of these different therapies reportedly improves symptoms in between 40% to 60% of people. Combining two of these therapies together — light therapy and medications — tends to help even more.
Why do people experience SAD?
SAD seems to be triggered by a drop in daily sunlight exposure. Light affects complex systems that govern the 24-hour circadian clock. The circadian clock is the body's internal system that controls the 24-hour cycle of physical, mental, and behavioral changes that occur in the body. This cycle is also known as the circadian rhythm in the brain, which regulates not just our sleep and wake cycles but also digestion, hormonal activity, and other important bodily functions.
Special receptors in the retina (the light-sensitive portion of the eye) transmit information about light in our surrounding environment to the superchiasmatic nucleus — that's the body's master clock — deep in the brain. In recent years, scientists have discovered additional nerve pathways from light receptors in the retina to other parts of the brain. This includes the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in regulating mood and cognition.
Beyond setting our circadian clock, light exposure also seems to affect higher-functioning areas of the brain. That's why light therapy may help treat SAD, which, like major depression, can also be treated with medications and therapy.
Light therapy may prompt improvement with few side effects
For both SAD and other types of depression, light therapy has unique characteristics that make it an attractive alternative to medications. Antidepressant drugs often take several weeks to start working, and sometimes cause bothersome side effects including nausea, weight gain, and sexual dysfunction. In people who respond well to light therapy, depression symptoms usually start improving within a week, and the side effects, which include eye strain and headaches, are uncommon and mild.
For people with depression who are pregnant or elderly, trying light therapy makes sense because these groups often need to avoid or reduce medication use. And older people, especially those with limited mobility, often spend a lot of time in dim environments and are prone to depression.
How to use light therapy
Light therapy requires a light box that emits 10,000 lux (a measure of light intensity). You sit in front of the light for about 30 minutes every morning, as soon as possible after you wake up. Light boxes aren't regulated, so it's important to make sure you buy one that meets certain specifications. For recommends check out the Center for Environmental Therapeutics, a nonprofit organization that does research on light boxes and related therapies and provides advice for selecting a light box. Prices range between $100 and $200.
To use a light box, place it in front of you or slightly off to the side. Don't look directly at the light but keep your eyes open. You can eat, read, watch television, or work on a computer while you're under the light.
People who have bipolar disorder should consult a psychiatrist or other mental health professional before trying light therapy. In rare cases, the therapy may trigger a manic episode, a risk that's also possible when first starting most antidepressants. People with severe depression also should not try light therapy without a psychiatrist's guidance.
An early morning walk
For everyone else who's feeling down or depressed — whether related to the season or pregnancy, or not — an early morning walk can offer similar light therapy benefits. A bright sunny day is about 50,000 lux, and a gray day is around 10,000 lux. Strolling outdoors soon after sunrise, even on a cloudy day, provides almost the same amount of light exposure as a light box.
On sunny days, the sun is bright enough to get a therapeutic effect even if you wear sunglasses (which protect your eyes from the sun's ultraviolet radiation). If you walk for 30 minutes, you'll also get a healthy dose of mood-boosting exercise. But if time or mobility constraints make that goal too challenging, sitting outside for just 15 minutes at any time of day may make a difference in your mood.
Disclaimer- Consult with your Medical Provider with any questions regarding prescription anti-depressants. Do not alter your current medications without your Medical Provider recommendations.
Ready to consider purchasing a Light Therapy light? Be aware not all lights are made to provide your the benefits. There are certain specifications needed.
Here is a great option available on Amazon & already a Black Friday deal.
Click HERE for my recommendation of a Light Therapy light
These are the specification to look for: 10,000 lux, >200 sq inch light, UV filter, and broad spectrum white light.
Don't want to spend the money on a light- then take that walk. It will be great for your mood and your body!