Depression
A guide to Depression, how red light therapy can help and how to access the treatment
What is depression?
Depression is an illness that affects the brain and the body. It is subtle and disabling, but it can be treated. The two biggest obstacles are to recognise that you have depression and to do something about it.
What is little understood is that depression isn’t only about mood – depression in the brain induces changes in the body and increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Treatment of depression reduces the risk to the rest of the body.
What are the causes?
Depression symptoms result from changes in the way the brain functions. There is increasing evidence that the immune system and chronic inflammation play a big part. Chemicals called cytokines are released from cells in the brain, and start playing havoc with the interactions between brain cells. This has a huge effect on mood, energy levels, sleep, libido and enjoyment of life – the major symptoms of depression.
How is depression treated?
There are different kinds of treatments available. The main options are to see a psychologist, medication, and make changes that are known to help – or all three.
Daily red and near infrared lights help.
How can light treatment help?
Red and near infrared light boost the mitochondria, the batteries in all the cells in the brain. This helps brain cells to function as well as reducing inflammation and increasing the number of blood vessels bringing oxygen to the damaged areas.
To be effective, red and near infrared lights need to be shone onto the head at least once daily and for a prolonged period of time. The red lights literally provide a daily battery recharge for brain function - the daily recharge enables the brain to keep on top of damaging inflammatory processes.
Studies are showing that daily red and near infrared lights improve depression symptoms, too, as they have a direct effect on inflammation through the recharging of the mitochondria.
How quickly do red and near infrared lights work in depression?
Just like the depression-inducing processes in the brain took months or years to develop, the brain needs time and daily red and near infrared lights to reverse the changes - some people notice changes within the first few weeks, but for others it takes longer. Everyone’s brain is different and it takes time for new cells to be formed, new pathways to be developed and inflammatory processes to be curbed.