Depression Treatment: Light Therapies

by admin on July 3rd, 2008

Depression is something that can destroy lives. The life of the person suffering from the illness is off course affected but so to are the lives of the people close to him or her. Families and loved ones feel the strain almost as much as the sufferer. Other areas of life are vulnerable as well. Work can suffer and well as social contacts.

Fortunately, today we know much more about depression. The approach is an illness rather than a disorder. There are many types of treatments that can be used to treat depression. Sometimes several or a combination of treatments may be required before improvement is realized. In this article we will look at light therapy and what is has accomplished in treating depression.

Light has been shown to reduce the brain?s level of melatonin. A chemical that can cause one to feel down and depressed. By sitting in front of a bright light for at least 4 hours a day, marked improvement has been seen in many depression patients.

Light therapy can be conducted using a light box. Many start to get depressed as the seasons change. The days start getting shorter and the weather gloomier. This reduces the amount of sunlight that we are exposed to naturally so our serotonin levels start to drop. This makes everyone feel a bit low but a person suffering from depression will feel a great deal worse. The light box requires the person to sit in front. They can carry on with an activity provided they stay within 2-3 feet of the box. The light then helps to replace the serotonin levels and helps reduce the chances of depression.

Light therapy has been proven effective in other areas as well. It has been shown to help sleep disorders as well as re-adjust our body clocks.

Depression is an illness that can destroy people and families. When one becomes seriously depressed they can cease to function normally. Everyone close to the depressed individual can be affected. Spouses can be forced to take care of their loved one while other members suffer along with them. Fortunately there are several types of therapies that can be tried. Light therapy has proven quite effective. By using light, the serotonin levels can start to climb back up and reduce the chances of increased depression.