Le froid, le manque de luminosité, le mauvais temps, la pression des fêtes de fin d’année, le printemps qui est encore loin… Tout est réuni pour développer ce que l’on appelle un trouble affectif saisonnier qui n’est autre que la célèbre dépression saisonnière.
La luminothérapie peut vous être d’un grand secours ! Zoom sur cette technique qui mettra de la lumière dans votre vie…
Light therapy was discovered in 1984 by Norman E. Rosenthal and his team at the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States. It was used in psychiatry to treat depression, particularly seasonal depression.
Symptoms of SAD
The winter seasonal depression is a depressive episode that sets in from late fall until spring. The main symptoms are among others:
- L’irritabilité.
- lower motivation
- loss of interest
- mood swings
- Le sommeil altered sleep or on the contrary considered as a refuge value
- the desire to run away or to go far away
- L’impatience.
Before self-diagnosing SAD, it is important to consult a professional who will assess whether or not you are truly affected. Indeed, the criteria to be taken into account are :
- Avoir fait deux épisodes dépressifs saisonniers deux hivers de suite SANS aucune autre forme de dépression entre temps.
- the symptoms must have been present for more than 2 weeks, be daily and prevent the person from developing and having social contact.
Light therapy to keep your spirits up
This technique consists of exposing yourself to a particular intensity of light to compensate for the lack of sunlight. This light is intended to be close to that of the sun without the infrared and ultraviolet. The benefits are felt after a few days of treatment.
In addition to the morale benefits of seeing light in the midst of winter grayness, light therapy works on your entire body.
The benefits of light therapy
The cells of the retina are sensitive to light variations. They will send a signal to the hypothalamus, which is responsible for your body's circadian rhythm. The circadian cycle est votre horloge biologique interne calée sur le rythme de la course du soleil.
Ainsi, la production des neurotransmetteurs est régie par l’alternance du jour et de la nuit.
La sérotonine qui est l’hormone de la bonne humeur est stimulée. La mélatonine qui est l’hormone du sommeil est également régulée grâce à la luminothérapie. Les hormones étant régulées, l’organisme fonctionne parfaitement.
Light therapy in practice
This therapy is recommended by a professional who will evaluate the relevance of this treatment according to your condition. It does not replace a drug treatment or psychotherapy, but is perfectly in line with a complementary support.
Its use is extremely simple: with the lamp on, you have to arrange that its light crosses your retina without fixing it. The period of exposure is predetermined according to the intensity of your disorder or if it is a matter of prevention.
10 000 lux est l’intensité recommandée par les spécialistes pour 20 à 30 minutes d’exposition le matin. La température de couleur de la lumière est environ de 4000 K. Plus la quantité de lux est élevée, moins le traitement est long.
En revanche, plus on se tient loin de l’appareil, plus on doit prolonger l’exposition.
Contraindications are rare
This method is gentle and has very few contraindications. It is important, however, that people with eye diseases should have the approval of their doctor as well as those with psychiatric disorders.
Otherwise, properly conducted,light therapy sessions are safe.
Where to practice light therapy?
Des professionnels proposent des séances en cabine. Le temps d’exposition, le nombre et la fréquence des séances sont prédéterminés en fonction de vos besoins.
It is also possible to do it at home. Indeed, there are portable devices on the market for individuals. It is important to check that they are CE compliant and that they filter infrared and ultraviolet rays. Beware of cheap gadgets!