Light against winter depression: How to increase your well -being!

Light against winter depression: How to increase your well -being!

In the winter months, many people suffer from a bad mood, especially when it gets dark early. Martin Ohlmeier, director of the Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Kassel Clinic, explains that neurobiological reasons are responsible for this phenomenon. Weniger Licht führt zu einer erhöhten Ausschüttung des Schlafhormons Melatonin und kann einen Abfall des Serotoninspiegels verursachen, welchem als „Glückshormon“ bekannt ist. This lack of light can lead to seasonal depression, which is often accompanied by symptoms such as lack of drive, loss of joy and sleep problems.

like Tagesschau.de is not everyone who is tired or in a bad mood in winter, inevitably affected by a depression. Depression is only diagnosed when the symptoms significantly affect functionality. In Hesse, the sunshine vary in winter; The south tends to have more sunshine. Meteorologist Thomas Kesseler-Lauterkorn recommends looking for sunlight in higher locations, where there is often a blue sky. To improve the mood, experts propose to spend the lunch break outdoors and move outside to use daylight.

therapy approaches to relieve the symptoms

Winfried Rief, professor of clinical psychology, recommends light therapy with special light beams. These should have a light intensity of 10,000 lux. Light therapy should be carried out in the morning for 30 to 60 minutes to support the hormonal regulation. Also the harvard health emphasizes that seasonal affective disorder (SAD) occurs in the late autumn and winter months. A lack of light supply is the main factor for this form of depression. The typical symptoms include feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest in previously estimated activities and sleep problems.

The formal diagnosis of SAD requires that the criteria for a major depressive episode are met for at least two years during case and winter months. Frequent treatment approaches include antidepressants and light therapy that uses light boxes to simulate sunlight. It is advisable to use a light box with 10,000 lux and the exposure prefers to carry out for about 30 minutes before 10 a.m.

In addition, Harvard Health points out that light therapy is usually safe, but can occasionally lead to minor side effects such as headache or irritability. Before the start of light therapy, consultation with a doctor should be kept, especially with existing health concerns.