It can happen at any time of the year, but the cold, dark winter months regularly are met with a rise in depression symptoms. Some signs and symptoms that will indicate you suffer from depression include marked changes in sleeping patterns or appetite, a general feeling of apathy, a lack of ability to regulate unproductive thoughts, difficulty concentrating and a unusually short temper. If you find symptoms like these affect you specifically when the days are shorter, you can suffer from seasonal affective disorder SAD. Fortunately , plenty of your SAD symptoms can be improved or conquered using light care for depression.
Light care for depression is a technique that was created to combat SAD symptoms as lately as the early 1980s. Till that time, the medical sector did not embrace the chance that changes in seasonal light exposure influenced humans in a similar way to other species. In 1981 the 1st patient treated with light therapy was exposed to four extra hours of light a day, 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. When the treatment was successful, the disorder was given the name SAD, and SAD sufferers are using light treatment as the primary treatment for this disorder.
While your GP will help you decide if and how much light treatment for depression is good for you, meanwhile consider what a patient of this therapy can expect. Usually treatment begins in the early fall, when the days are just starting to shorten. Each light box has different exposure levels, so your health practitioner will help you decide how long each session should be. The everyday patient will begin with 15 minute daily sessions, and work his or her way up to as much as 2 hours of treatment a day. The secret to successful treatment is consistency. Set aside time every day to finish your session. Skipping sessions may make the treatment less effective.
What can patients hope to achieve? When using light treatment for depression, a patient can expect many great results. While your SAD won’t fix your condition, you’ll enjoy conspicuous enhancements in your symptoms. Your energy levels will increase and you may have a rather more positive outlook on life. Work with your GP to find the light box that’s ideal for you, don’t forget to use it solidly, don’t skip treatments or stop them too fast , and always adhere to your doctor’s other treatment laws. With light care treatment a brighter day can end up in a lighter day.