If you reside in a place that goes through all four changing seasons, your state of mind is going to be affected. People like to grumble about the required holiday get togethers, and some are very lazy and just want to lay in bed all day. Take note that not all people who are like that is lazy, and for a few people, that can be a symptom of seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD. Seasonal affective disorder is a sub-type of a main depressive disorder that is marked by having negative feeling and strength beginning starting in the fall and enduring all through winter, even though, in very unlikely instances, the signs take place in spring as well as the summer.
If you have carried out even just the smallest level of researching on the internet, you will surely see light therapy popping up as a suggested therapy for SAD. You can purchase a light therapy box without having a doctor prescription. By reading this article, you will be informed of all the information that you must know regarding SAD and how you can use light therapy lamps for treating it. Without further ado, let’s start:
- SAD is not similar to a regular depression
Even though SAD is a type of depressive disorders and has some resemblances like changes in mood and thoughts of pessimism, there are actually three important variations between them. SAD has a tendency to take place on a in season structure, generally starting in the autumn or winter then subsiding during the spring. Individuals have a tendency to desire carbs and gain pounds because of this. Even though depressive disorders can result in sleep problems, SAD has a tendency to carry out the opposite. With sad, you will be sleeping 10 up to 14 hours a day, according to an expert in the matter.
- SAD has an effect on the two genders
Although it is correct that females are certainly more vulnerable to SAD, with almost three-quarters of the people impacted are females – males could possibly acquire it as well. Actually, some men usually are the ones with more serious signs and symptoms. You are also more prone to be afflicted by SAD if you are more youthful – signs and symptoms usually start from the age range of 18 up to 30.
- Light therapy will assist against SAD
The precise reason for SAD is not completely known yet. However, researchers believe it is connected to the lower amounts of sun rays we acquire throughout the winter season. As such, light therapy became one of the primary methods for the treatment of SAD, in which a distinctive lamp known as light box imitates the sunshine.
Light therapy have existed starting from the 1980s and a number of research have demonstrated that it is successful in dealing with SAD. A researcher named Brainard stated that light therapy has seen a success probability of 60 to 80 percent, which is really high considering its position as a therapy for a psychological issue.
This might be due to the fact that light therapy tackles the actual real cause of SAD, which is reduced amounts of sunlight, as stated by Elizabeth Saenger, a psychologist working within the Center for Environmental Therapeutics located in New York. Elizabeth Saenger further stated that the majority of psychological interventions, especially medicine, get involved at other areas in our systems, dealing with the negative effects of the reduction in light as opposed to the dealing with the original cause.
- The usage of your light box is important
Making use of your light box in the right way will make a major difference in the effectivity of your therapy. You are not required to have a prescription, however, you must use the best sad lamps, according to experts. Your mental health expert should have the ability to give you advice about how and the time that you will make use of your box. Generally speaking, you will have to take a seat looking at your light box around 30 up to 45 minutes every single day. This is most effective if you carry this out right off the bat after you wake up.