Depression Support Groups San Diego
depression Support Groups San Diego
Understand Just How Light Therapy May Help Minimize Depression
It can happen at any point of the year, but the cold, dark winter months often are met with an increase in depression symptoms. Some signs and symptoms which will indicate you suffer from depression include marked changes in sleeping patterns or appetite, a general sense of dejection, an inability to control negative thoughts, difficulty concentrating and a unusually short temper. If you find symptoms like these affect you in particular when the days are shorter, you may have seasonal affective disorder SAD. Luckily , plenty of your SAD symptoms can be improved or conquered using light therapy for depression.
Light therapy for depression is a technique that was created to combat SAD symptoms as late as the early 1980s. Till that time, the medical world didn't embrace the possibility that changes in seasonal light exposure affected humans similarly to other species. In 1981 the first patient treated with light care suffered exposure to four additional hours of light a day, two in the morning and two in the evening. When the treatment was successful, the disorder was given the name SAD, and SAD sufferers are using light care as the first treatment for this disorder.
While your doctor can help you decide if and how much light therapy for depression is best for you, in the meantime consider what a patient of this treatment can expect. Generally treatment begins in the early fall, when the days are just beginning to get shorter . Each light box has different exposure levels, so your health practitioner can help you decide how long each session should be. The characteristic patient will begin with fifteen minute daily sessions, and work their way up to as much as two 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 care for depression, a patient can expect many excellent results. While your SAD won't sort out your condition, you will enjoy obvious enhancements in your symptoms. Your levels of energy will increase and you may have a positive outlook on life. Work with your doctor to find the light box that is right for you, don't forget to use it regularly, don't skip treatments or stop them too soon , and always stick to your doctor's other treatment axioms. With light care treatment a brighter day can lead to a lighter day.
Click here : http://lighttherapysad.com/ and light therapy for SAD for more information.
Dr. Bardwell on cancer-Related Variables and Depression