Light Box Treatment For Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder
Has there been any development in researching new ways of treating different types of depression? It is said that over the last few years, there has been a great number of diagnosed and treated cases of depression and SAD – seasonal affective disorder. In the course of looking for a cure to this, a new alternative treatment for depression has been brought to existence to address this mental disorder.
Natural Remedies For Depression
Light therapy is the latest among the alternative treatments for depression. Light therapy uses “light boxes”; these light boxes provide 10,000 lux of artificial light. Light therapy, which is also referred to as phototherapy, usually consists of exposure to particular wavelengths of light depending how much is being prescribed for a certain amount of time.
Seasonal Affective Disorder or The Winter Blues
Light therapy is known to be effective on persons who are experiencing seasonal affective disorder. This mood disorder is usually known as winter depression or winter blues. This type of depression actually can be experienced by the patient repeatedly during the winter season. The feeling of depression can be experienced year after year. On the other hand, aside from seasonal affective disorder, light boxes were proven to help other types of depression as well.
Light Therapy
The good thing about light boxes is that they do not cause skin damage compared to a variety of light therapies, such as those that make use of ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light is known to damage the skin with prolonged exposure to it. Blue light treatment is somehow associated with light box treatment, although compared to blue light, the light box gives a quicker therapeutic response to the individual who uses it. On the other hand, using blue light therapy as a treatment for depression could be as responsive as using light boxes on younger patients. However, it has been found that blue light therapy is not an adequate depression treatment for older patients.
Buying Light Therapy Products
Whatever depression treatment you use, there is help available to you. Whether you use alternative treatments and therapies or take the advice and recommendations from your health care professional, you can treat depression. Many people prefer alternative or natural depression treatments, for the simple reason there are not the associated risks or side effects of traditional depression medications.
The main thing is you are diagnosed correctly, so that you can begin the appropriate therapy that is just right for you. Once you know what type of depression you have, you are half way there.
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