Light Therapy for Depression

Many people around the world—young and old—struggle to enjoy their life because of depression. In fact, depression is one of the most common mental illnesses. The oftentimes treatment-resistant symptoms of depression often force many to lose hope of ever enjoying their lives again. Surprisingly, due to any number of reasons—personal, philosophical, or social—many of these people actually never seek or receive any treatment for their depression. Those who choose to live with their depression risk limiting their ability to persist and persevere through life’s obstacles, which is a necessary ability for anyone who hopes to thrive and, ultimately, enjoy their life. Many patients resist pharmacological interventions because they dislike the idea of taking an antidepressant or other medication. For these people who do want to treat their symptoms, there are many natural remedies for depression that could help…including light therapy for depression.

For mammals, depression often results in loss of appetite, sexual interest and increased lethargy. According to this Psychiatric Times article (https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/bipolar-disorder/light-treatment-nonseasonal-depression), this is because these behaviors are regulated by the amount, duration, and frequency of light we are exposed to. When mammals are exposed to longer periods of high intensity light, like in the summer, oftentimes their activity, aggression and sexuality rises. In contrast, during the Fall and winter months, when daylight is at a premium, these behaviors are reversed—leading to less aggression, less sexuality, and less activity.

A number of trials have been conducted by researchers around the world to test this theory, and to determine if light therapy for depression may be a viable treatment option. The trials found that light therapy for depression was actually able to relieve the symptoms of depression more rapidly than a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Most patients found their depressive symptoms were relieved within 1 to 2 weeks of receiving regular light therapy. This is a dramatic improvement when compared to the typical 12 to 16 weeks that SSRIs require to take effect.

For many cases of depression, like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), light therapy is a fantastic supplement to any existing depression treatment regimen. When an SSRI is combined with regular sessions of light therapy, it offers a great chance for both short-term and long-term symptomatic relief. However, some treatment-resistant cases of depression may still not respond to these two therapies alone. When this occurs, ketamine infusions are a highly effective depression treatment alternative. Especially combined with holistic depression treatments, like light therapy for depression, many ketamine patients experience long-lasting relief that enables them to resume living their lives. In fact, nearly 70% of patients who engage in ketamine infusions experience positive results…could you be one of them?

Contact RestoratIV Ketamine Wellness Center

At RestoratIV Ketamine Wellness Center, we offer compassionate support and ketamine treatment options to many who are struggling with debilitating mental and physical health conditions. Our Mississippi ketamine clinic is happy to answer your questions and determine is ketamine infusions are a good fit for your symptoms. If you or someone you love is struggling, please do not hesitate to give us a call or contact us via the brief form below.