Light therapy beneficial to patients with bipolar disorder?
Posted By atorturedsoul on September 14, 2009
Is light therapy beneficial to patients with bipolar disorder? Recent studies suggest that it can provide benefits to persons suffering from bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is often accompanied by erratic sleep-wake patterns (Circadian rhythms: A daily rhythmic activity cycle, based on 24-hour intervals.). Doctors prescribe a variety of medications to improve sleep patterns to assist in stabilization. Recent studies have shown that light therapy (also used in the treatment of SAD, seasonal affective disorder) can improve the amount and quality of sleep and result in mood stabilization.
The University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine’s Western Psychiatric Institute published the results of a recent study stating that bright light therapy (including blue light treatment used for other mood disorders such as SAD) is effective in lessening the severity of bipolar disorder. (Science Daily, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080103101121.htm)
The clinical study involved treatment sessions consisting of 45 minute sessions conducted at various times throughout the day. The results showed that participants receiving light therapy during midday exhibited a positive response.
“In our study, 44 percent of patients were full responders, and 22 percent were partial responders,” Dr. Sit and her colleagues write. “Light therapy, therefore, is an attractive and possibly effective augmentation strategy to improve the likelihood of full-treatment response.”
Best results were achieved with daily midday light therapy consisting of 45 to 60 minute sessions. These treatments have been proven to ease the symptoms of bipolar disorder related depression, which can often be treatment resistant.
If you are searching for alternatives to medication or something in addition to medication, this may be worth considering.
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Light therapy beneficial to patients with bipolar disorder? http://bit.ly/2elu22
Light therapy beneficial to patients with bipolar disorder? http://bit.ly/2elu22
That’s interesting. I’ll have to ask my psychiatrist about that. Thanks for the info.
I have anxiety problems along with being bi-polar (whatever that is exactly) and am having to use a regular dose of Klonepin for the anxiety which seems to work well. I have high blood pressure (seriously high blood pressure which requires some help with the stress and anxiety). It is a never ending merry go round of meds and I haven’t found perfect one yet. I am now going through pretty bad depression episode and don’t know what to try next…
Actually, this article here http://www.sadlightshop.com/info/light-therapy-as-a-treatment-for-seasonal-affective-disorder/ states that “Some people have stated that light therapy can triggering a (manic) episodes in people with bipolar. So if you suffer from bipolar, talk to your doctor first.” and I’ve read similar remarks on various other websites. So if you’re suffering from bipolar I’d be very careful to start messing around with light therapy unless you’ve consulted your doctor about it first.