Light Therapy

Brighten the Winter Blues

There’s Hope on the Horizon for S.A.D.

Seasonal Affective Disorder afflicts over millions of Americans of all ages every year. It shows up as symptoms of recurring depression and can affect work, study, relationships, and one’s sense of well-being. There’s a simple cause for S.A.D.; one that is not tied to psychological issues or emotional traumas. It has simply to do with a deficiency in exposure to the right frequencies of light. That’s why SAD hits during low light seasons and climates. The good news is that it can be treated.

Researchers have experimented with light therapy as a treatment for SAD for several decades. In numerous studies it’s been shown that 10,000 LUX light can lift the winter blues. How? By adjusting the body’s biological clock, which gets out of sync when deprived of sufficient exposure to sunlight.

Causes of SAD

Melatonin is a sleep-related hormone naturally secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. It can cause symptoms of depression. Interestingly, the link between melatonin and SAD is that melatonin is produced in greater quantities in the dark. When days are shorter—and darker—the production of melatonin increases and can cause symptoms of depression.

Rather than treating the symptoms of depression, we can treat its cause. Light therapy has been shown to suppress the production of melatonin, thus reducing one of the causes of the blues.

Practical & Effective

Light therapy is both successful and practical. It is natural, effective, and safe to use. Dr. Anna Wirz-Justice, of the University of Basel in Switzerland as well as members of the Society for Light Treatment & Biological Rhythms, an international group of light therapy specialists, have developed standards after testing thousands of patients. They’ve discovered that approximately 3 out of 5 people tested, respond to light therapy in as little as a few days. Relief can come more quickly than with medication, and with no harmful side effects.

As light therapy products become more attractive and easier to use, those suffering from SAD can eliminate their symptoms, and finally dispel the winter blues.

Quick Facts on SAD (as released by Mental Health America):

  • 3 out of 4 people who suffer from SAD are women. 
  • The primary age group for the onset of SAD is 18-30.
  • SAD is generally found in the far northern and far southern hemispheres, and is most rare among those who live within 30 degrees latitude of the equator. 
  • SAD’s symptoms and severity are determined by an individual’s susceptibility and by geographical location.

Find Out How To Brighten Your Life

This adviser will help you decide what time to use your light.