
Are You Battling SAD? Light Therapy is Exactly What You Need

If you didn’t already know, Seasonal Affective Disorder, better known as SAD is as real as disorders come.
What’s more, it could strike at any time, making it more serious than most people would assume.
5-Category Symptoms
According to Mayo Clinic, SAD presents in five broad categories of symptoms. The first of these affects an individual’s mood, presenting as sadness, mood swings, loss of interest, loneliness, general discontent, apathy, and anxiety.
The next category is sleep-associated and can either be insomnia, sleep deprivation, or excess sleep. Next comes the symptoms that affect the entire body, these being feeling fatigued and changes in appetite.

Ivan Oboleninov / Pexels
Behavioral symptoms also occur when a previously social person tends to isolate themselves, while a previously calm individual may become irritable.
The last category is termed a general group of symptoms, with weight gain, depression, and lack of concentration all falling here.
If you happen to be battling any of these, there’s a high chance that you’re one of the victims of SAD. And did you notice the statement that it could strike at any time? That’s including in the middle of summer, contrary to the belief that it only hits during winter and other chilly months.
Thankfully, the mild form of this disorder is not that serious. You could even treat it without a prescription, simply making a few changes to how you spend your day to remedy the situation.
If you suspect that SAD is attacking you since you’ve been spending all your days locked up in your apartment, Verily reports that a short walk out in the sun should do the trick.
But what if you literally don’t have the time for a walk? Life can be pretty busy and it is understandable that you may not have 20 minutes to spare.

Karolina Grabowska / Pexels
All the same, don’t they say that necessity is the mother of invention? And that’s where therapy lamps come in. These light lamps have the same effect on your body as the sun, so we can all agree that the end justifies the means.
A Tried and Tested Phenomenon
Interestingly, light therapy isn’t even a new phenomenon. It has been around for almost half a century now with articles on the topic dating as far back as the 1980s. In 1989, an article published in Neuropsychopharmacology reported that artificial light, provided it was bright enough, was found to reduce SAD depressive symptoms.
You must be wondering how this works, right? Verily has an answer for you, reporting that it has everything to do with melatonin, the hormone that regulates the natural sleep cycle in humans.
Melatonin production happens at nighttime and stops as soon as you’re exposed to daylight. This means that for persons vulnerable to SAD, fewer hours exposed to the sun translate to increased production of melatonin, hence the depressive symptoms.
The pineal gland is the organ tasked with the production of this sleep hormone. To ensure that it stops overly producing melatonin, you need to subject it to light therapy. Light lamps are readily available on Amazon, but you need to check out a model’s specifications before proceeding to buy it.

Mikael Blomkvist / Pexels
Find one that produces 10,000 Lux of light, is specifically designed for SAD treatment, and is clinically tested.
More in Mental Health
-
How To Develop A Healthy Relationship With Weight
Most of us have a complicated relationship with weight and spend most of our days on the scale, letting our minds...
August 30, 2022 -
Are Weight Loss Medications Worth Taking?
Body weight and obesity are one of the growing concerns in the U.S. nowadays. A recent report from CDC suggests that...
August 29, 2022 -
Can Acupuncture Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes?
In today’s world, health conditions like cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and diabetes are becoming more and more common. It is extremely important...
August 16, 2022 -
A Stark Realization: Your Body & Mind Function In Sync
Seemingly, the days of COVID are gone; with the cases of COVID patients decreasing throughout the United States, you can breathe...
August 11, 2022 -
Research Shows That Americans Still Have Low Health Insurance Literacy
One would think that in 2020, of all the years, healthcare would have been top of mind of the American healthcare...
August 1, 2022 -
3 Quick Tips To Burn Calories & Lose Belly Fat In No Time
Maintaining normal physical well-being is one of the major concerns today. More than ever before, today, everyone has this unwavering desire...
July 18, 2022 -
The Recent Hepatitis A Outbreak Is Associated With Store-Bought Organic Strawberries
When it comes to strawberries, you think about strawberry jam, strawberry ice cream, strawberry milkshakes, etc., but you surely don’t think...
July 13, 2022 -
Tips To Prioritize Your Mental Health This Summer
It is exciting to welcome the summer season after non-ending Covid restrictions. Over the last two-and-a-half years, people from all walks...
July 11, 2022 -
Critical Factors To Consider While Choosing A Health Insurance Policy
It is no longer a secret that you should have a sensible health insurance policy, regardless of your gender and professional...
June 27, 2022
You must be logged in to post a comment Login