New research shows that a daily 30-minute habit requiring no physical movement cured depression for 40 percent of people.
You might be wondering how this is possible. Certainly, there can’t be that simple of a fix for such a debilitating mental health disorder. However, experts claim there is now an effective and drug-free solution to treating depression—and you’ve likely heard about it before.
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Bright light therapy, which is often used for conditions like seasonal affective disorder or circadian rhythm sleep disorders, has been shown to assist with non-seasonal depression as well. A recent study found that those treated with bright light therapy reported a 40% remission rate of depression.
“These findings suggest that bright light therapy was an effective adjunctive treatment for non-seasonal depressive disorders, and the response time to the initial treatment may be improved with the addition of bright light therapy,” researchers stated.
This is incredible news for patients looking for an alternative treatment option to medications, many of which have detrimental side effects or can be pricy.
Essentially, bright light therapy involves sitting in front of natural or artificial light at controlled wavelengths for short periods, usually around 30 minutes per day. This has proven to help boost your mood and alleviate symptoms of depression.
“Even though outpatient treatment costs with antidepressants are widely variable, exposure to external light generally involves no costs or limitations, which reinforces the need to firm bright light therapy as an efficient adjunctive treatment for non-seasonal depressive disorders,” researchers said.
