Light Therapy Fights Winter Blues Better Than Prozac!

By Erin Froehlich

Welcome to The Well Mind, the weekly news blog featuring the latest in mental health!

This week: a low cost, side-effect free treatment for seasonal depression is out there and working, according to some studies, even better than Prozac!

So…why aren’t more doctors prescribing it?

Light Therapy Fights Winter Blues Better Than Prozac!

“I’ve always seen a drastic change in my personality from spring and summer to fall and winter…” – Rich Bach

“I discovered that I would be in a funk once the weather turned colder.”– endlessrain

“I just change. I hate it. When it's darker, I just feel like there is a blanket over my emotions.” – cassandrathethinkerbleedsteal

With between 4 and 6% of Americans suffering from a full-blown case and another 10 to 20% experiencing a milder form of the condition, Seasonal Affective Disorder (otherwise known as SAD) is a form of depression occurring most commonly in the cool months of the year - from the beginning of fall to the beginning of spring.

While the condition unfortunately receives some skepticism, with some believing it’s “nothing more than typical winter reluctance”, SAD is much more than that. Seasonal Affective Disorder can cause anxiety, fatigue, social withdrawal, weight gain, depression and more in sufferers.

While the exact cause is not yet known, experts are certain of a few key factors in its development. Given that a reduction in sunlight exposure can disrupt our circadian rhythm (aka. biological clock) and reduce our serotonin and melatonin levels (affecting our mood and sleep patterns), SAD makes a lot of sense.

Many of those afflicted with SAD, perhaps dissuaded by naysayers, elect to suffer alone, but for those that do seek help, the recommended treatment is commonly antidepressants like Paxil, Zoloft, or Prozac for the duration of the condition – but is that really best?

According to this week’s New York Times investigation – maybe not!

Enter “Light Therapy”.

Light Therapy, as the name suggests, involves shining bright lights on the skin to make up for the decrease in sunlight exposure.

Said Dr. Alfred Lewy, professor of psychiatry and expert on seasonal depression and light therapy, “With the natural dawn being later in winter, the body rhythms drift late…If you can fix the drift, you can fix the depression.”

Generally, light therapy is delivered in a small light box, which patients sit in front of for 30 to 45 minutes in the morning. Side effects are exceedingly rare and at around $200 dollars for years of treatments, it’s at least a far cry more affordable than Prozac, but that’s not all.

Recent double blind studies comparing light therapy treatment with Prozac found no difference in effectiveness between the two – save for the fact that the light therapy began working a full week earlier!

In fact, the study was so successful and the treatment so safe, that research is now underway for other potential light therapy applications including treatment for sleep disorders, pregnancy related depression and dementia, even bulimia, severe PMS, bipolar and ADHD!

And yet, many experts on SAD say this treatment continues to be underutilized.

Why?

Speculators have suggested that a large part of it has to do with profits – there’s little to be made in a onetime purchase treatment and no commercial incentive to prescribe them.

Additionally, said Dr. Lewy on the matter, “…doctors are just more comfortable prescribing medication, because that’s what they do for everything,”

Luckily, if you’d like to give light therapy a try, you can order a light box online without a doctor’s prescription.

Or…. you know, move somewhere without winters.

SOURCES:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/health/policy/light-boxes-may-help-melt-those-winter-blues.html?_r=1, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002499/, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/light-therapy/MY00195, http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/41/1/72, http://www.experienceproject.com/groups/Have-Seasonal-Affective-Disorder/10697, http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder.html, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16648320

PHOTO CREDIT: Chapendra

6 Comments

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Bri Luginbill at HelloLife
A teacher of mine in high school used light therapy. It helped a lot, I could definitely sense a change in him. i.e. him yelling at the class for no reason vs. him being strict, but no random bursts of yelling.

I wonder how much a light box is?

I've always wondered about light therapy, so it's interesting to see a blog about it. Thanks for posting this, Erin!

Commented on HelloLife November 18 2011 at 10:18 am
Victoria Swanson
Thanks for this blog Erin....it brings a lot of "light" to Light Therapy which I think is an important way to combat those winter blues.
Commented on HelloLife November 18 2011 at 10:38 am
Nancy
This is a wonderful solution to much of the depression issues out there. I've done it and I know others who have done it as well and it truly works. There definitely is a correlation between lack of vitamin D (best received/utilized via the sun)and depression, anxiety, bipolar, PMS etc. There have been many successful trials of using cod liver oil to treat the same imbalances based on the same premise of vitamin D deficiency. I speculate part of this problem is that no one goes outside anymore, not even children. As far as why are doctors not prescribing this safer alternative is exactly as you stated, there is no money to be made. Sadly healthcare has become a money making corporation and they want us to be sick so we need expensive tests and treatments. There are alternative Drs. or Healers out there but they are not covered by insurances. I find however that I spend less paying for a holistic Dr., feel better and am sick less often than it would cost me to insure my family, pay for expensive prescriptions, feel worse and have to be constantly in need of "medical care" (I put quotes because it is more like medical abuse!) Keep up the good work Erin!
Commented on HelloLife November 18 2011 at 11:19 am
sprouty
Or live in two locations! Somewhere near the shore in Alaska all summer, then move to southern Argentina or Australia for their summer. Of course, I like winter, but I don't like the short days and late sunrises.
Commented on HelloLife November 18 2011 at 3:00 pm
Sherry
Drs don't prescribe it because it doesn't make them money.
Commented on HelloLife December 08 2011 at 10:22 am
Nancy
No wonder my daughter loves the tanning bed. It must be the light. I worked with a guy once who you could tell his personality changed immediately when the winter and darker days came. He just wanted to stop all communication and barely say hi to you!
Commented on HelloLife December 08 2011 at 12:39 pm