Light Therapy for Panic Disorders

Most panic attacks usually occur without warning, without an external cause, generating a number of different psychological and physiological symptoms. Symptoms include dizziness, sweating, trembling and rapid beating of the heart accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of fear.

The American Journal of Psychiatry (2006) reported the healing effects of light therapy on seasonal and nonseasonal depression. Due to this, psychiatric research now searches for possible beneficial effects of light therapy on other disorders such as anxiety, insomnia and muscle pain, as well as panic disorders.

Identification

• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that more than 1 million Americans suffer from some form of panic disorder. According to Dr. David Barlow, panic disorder stands as one of the most common emotional complaints, thereby becoming a major health concern.

  For a diagnosis of panic disorder, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) requires the presence of at least four of the common symptoms, such as shortness of breath, dizziness, heart palpitations and fear of dying. In addition, the distress over the possibility of another attack must persist for at least one month.

Features

• Light therapy refers to the use of visual or colored light to treat a variety of emotional and physical disorders. According to Dr. Daniel Kripke, therapeutic benefits result from the intensity as well as the duration of exposure to the light. Light intensity ranges from very high, such as associated with bright sunlight (10,000 lux), or very low, such as light associated with a cloudy day (2500 lux).

Function

• Dr. Kripke suggests that our modern lifestyle causes us to spend less time in sunlight. Due to this, our bodies suffer. Light therapy appears to compensate for a lack of sunlight, which appears critical to our physical and emotional health.

  Specifically, Dr. John Downing, a pioneering light-therapy researcher, suggested that light therapy appears to stimulate various areas of the brain responsible for our emotional and physical health.

  Psychiatrists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine reported successfully treating a young woman who suffered from panic attacks with light therapy. Her attacks seemed to be linked to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a condition associated with the lack of sunlight during winter months. After receiving light therapy, her condition improved.

Considerations

• For general application, light therapy equipment consists of a small box that can be placed on a table or desk. The box includes a fluorescent bulb and a plastic diffusing screen. To receive treatment, you merely sit near the box, with the head and body tilted toward the light. You can read, write or eat during your treatment, which lasts between 15 minutes and 2 hours. You can split up these sessions according to your needs.

Warning

• A study by Alan O. Kogan and Patricia M. Guilford reported minor side effects associated with light therapy such as headaches, dizziness and vision problems. However, these side effects registered as mild and lasted only a short time.

  Nevertheless, Dr. Kripke warns against staring at the light as well as not using a treatment above 10,000 lux. In addition, he recommends a light treatment source with a minimum exposure of ultraviolet light.