How Effective Is Light Therapy for Depression?

Seasonal depression, also known as seasonal mood disorders. It is a type of depression. The most significant feature of seasonal depression is that it occurs at the same time each year, often starting in late autumn and early winter and ending in late spring and early summer. However, there is a rare seasonal mood disorder that starts in late spring and early summer and ends in autumn.

Seasonal depression

Seasonal depression, also known as seasonal mood disorders. It is a type of depression. The most significant feature of seasonal depression is that it occurs at the same time each year, often starting in late autumn and early winter and ending in late spring and early summer. However, there is a rare seasonal mood disorder that starts in late spring and early summer and ends in autumn.

Chinese name

Seasonal depression

Generation period

Season change

Symptom

Anxiety, irritability, interest in things, etc.

Pathology

Mental disorder

According to experts, in addition to the general symptoms of depression, including the general symptoms of depression: anxiety, irritability, indifferent interest in things, reduced social activity, and inability to concentrate, it has its own unique characteristics.

The main symptoms of winter depression are: drowsiness, fatigue, strong appetite, lack of energy, hope for solitude, and inability to concentrate. The main symptoms of summer depression are: sleep disturbance, weight loss, and loss of appetite.

Experts remind that three-quarters of the people with seasonal depression are women, most of whom are 20 to 40 years old. Children and adolescents and the elderly are also likely to get sick. In high latitudes, the population prevalence is relatively large because of seasonal changes there.

In high latitudes, the population prevalence is relatively large because of seasonal changes there. It is estimated that 1% of the population in Florida suffers from seasonal mood disorders, compared with 4% in Washington DC and as high as 10% in Alaska.

1.Psychological disorders

Depression suffers mentally. The interpersonal relationship of depression patients is often very tense. They live in a self-pessimistic world, they repeatedly contend with each other, blame themselves, and blame the outside world. They are constantly questioning and analyzing. They are getting deeper and deeper and cannot extricate themselves.

Complications

Long-term depression will try to reduce resistance, leading to physical illness. The disease affects the body is one of the common symptoms of depression. The main reason is that the disease affects the body such as sleep disorders, pain, fatigue, upset stomach, poor appetite, and panic. So-called heart disease, which accounts for 30% of psychiatric patients. Digestive disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, etc. are all typical psychosomatic diseases.

3.Suicide

Depression patients ultimately commit suicide. Clinically depressed

If you have seasonal mood disorders, it is difficult to diagnose yourself. It is best to find a doctor for a comprehensive test. Sometimes physical problems can cause depression. There are also seasonal mood disorders symptoms that are not part of other mental problems, and a health professional can help you make a precise diagnosis and recommend the most appropriate treatment ^[1]

The treatment of seasonal depression usually adopts a comprehensive treatment model of biology, psychology, society, medicine, food, etc.

1. Biological therapy is the foundation, and psychotherapy and social support are important complementary therapies. Adjuvant therapy is one of the important means of biological therapy.

2. For seasonal depression, antidepressants such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, fluvoxamine, and citalopram should be selected in time. For patients with anxiety symptoms, various anti-anxiety drugs such as diazepam can be used in combination for a short period of time. Under normal circumstances, antidepressant drugs can take effect in about three weeks after administration, and most patients can be significantly improved or cured within 2-3 months, and then maintain treatment for 8-12 months to prevent relapse.

3 The most fashionable way to treat winter depression is light therapy. The earliest case of phototherapy in the world was reported by Lewy (1982). The patient was a recurrent winter depression patient. The phototherapy effectively controlled the condition and recovered. Since then, research on phototherapy has been extensively conducted. As a result, it has been found that the intensity of light is important for the efficacy of winter depression. It is generally believed that light with an intensity of 2500 lux [Lx] is better than 400 it is good. In addition, the effect of long light time is good, two hours in the morning is better than two hours at night. The antidepressant mechanism of phototherapy is mainly that it can inhibit the secretion of melatonin and adjust the phase of circadian rhythm. Some people also think that light therapy can increase the level of plasma adrenaline and increase the function of peripheral lymphocytes to exert antidepressant effects. Light therapy is always effective in the treatment of seasonal mood disorders. The drug can be used alone or in combination with phototherapy. More sun exposure in your home and office, and more outdoor activities are very helpful in treating seasonal mood disorders.

4 Food therapy, there are many foods that are good helpers for depression, such as bananas, oranges in fruits, cucumbers, tomatoes in vegetables, etc. Coffee and cocoa are also excellent psychological medicines. They can enhance the activity of brain cells and improve Depression.

Another treatment is Dawn Simulation. For 90 minutes, artificial light is used to make patients experience from starry nights to early morning sun. However, this method is not as effective as light therapy.

Currently, the latest treatment for seasonal mood disorders is the negative ion method. Sounds baffling, right? When Terman used a negative ion generator for intense light soothing treatment, he accidentally found that high-speed flow of negative ions had a positive effect on improving mood. Studies have shown that air anion content is low in heating and air-conditioning environments. High levels of negative ions in wet areas, forests and seashores. ^[2]

Depression has its seasonal characteristics, because from summer to autumn, less sunlight exposure, the human body's biological clock does not adapt to changes in short sunlight hours, resulting in circadian disorders and endocrine disorders, so there are disorders of mood and mental state, so autumn is depression High incidence of the disease. This season, the average person is likely to fall into depression, and patients who already have depression may worsen the condition.

To prevent depression, get up early, eat a nutritious breakfast, and dress up neatly. It is not advisable to continue working all day, except at noon, 10 am and 3 pm should quit work and take a break. Do not take problems and concerns at work into consideration and ask to discuss with your boss or colleagues; those with strong sense of responsibility should not be too striving for perfection, so as not to overload their mind and body; they should not be overworked daily to avoid depression. disease