Keeping bipolar disorder in the dark may just do the trick

Complementary and Alternative Medicines, or CAMs, have become increasingly popular in recent years as more people search for natural remedies for every ailment from indigestion to depression. Science is trying to catch up with this demand, seeking out evidence that proves whether or not various CAM treatments work.

Bipolar disorder is a severe emotional disorder that often leaves the sufferer debilitated. The high manias and low depressions characteristic of bipolar disorder can make it almost impossible for someone with the illness to function socially, professionally, or personally. To date, prescription medications such as lithium combined with cognitive behavioral therapy have proven to be the best methods of treatment for bipolar disorder, but this may be changing.

Many bipolar patients are apprehensive about taking prescription medication to deal with their disorder. Because symptoms of the disorder often affect the sleeping and waking cycle-and can also be exacerbated by a lack of sleep-recent research into ‘dark therapy’ as a form of treatment for bipolar disorder has provided another possibility.

Light therapy has been used for years to treat seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that occurs in winter when there is less available sunlight. Dark therapy works much the same way, but it focuses on exposing the patient to darkness instead of bright light. More specifically, dark therapy blocks out the blue spectrum lights—florescent, incandescent and LED. The idea behind this alternative treatment is that spending a certain amount of time in mandatory darkness will reset the circadian rhythm of a person with bipolar disorder and help get their brain chemicals back in balance.

While a pilot study on dark therapy for bipolar disorder was performed in 2005 and showed promising results, a recent study sought to further explore the issue. Researchers at the Corvallis Psychiatric Clinic in Corvallis, Oregon studied what they called “virtual darkness,” or artificial darkness created by amber lenses. It seemed that dark therapy was working, but creating the dark environment necessary for the length of time suggested-14 hours each night, or from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.-through more natural means was terribly inconvenient to the subjects.

Instead, researchers used an amber lens to block the blue lights. This produced the effects of total darkness while allowing the patients to see and carry on evening activities. The key to dark therapy isn’t necessarily to sleep for a full 14 hours. Instead, the bipolar patient would sleep for 8 of those hours and maintain light activity in virtual darkness for the other 6 hours. Using an amber lens to block the blue light allows for this light activity.

Further study is needed into issues surrounding whether or not patients will participate in the full 14 hours of dark therapy required for effective treatment. For anyone interested in exploring complementary and alternative medicines for bipolar disorder, though, dark therapy may hold the key to freedom from prescription medication and a more balanced, stable mood.

© Copyright 2007 Insight Journal Online Magazine.

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