SWAMPSCOTT — The winter blues are real and Swampscott Public Library has a remedy for them.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) is a diagnosable condition, but it wasn’t characterized until the 1980s, according to Dr. David Mischoulon, a 20-year psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School. Before then, there were only observations of people being more vulnerable to seasonal depression, he said.
“People who live in parts of the world where there is less sunlight are more vulnerable to seasonal depression,” Mischoulon told the Item on Tuesday. “Back then, they just called it the winter blues.”
A few weeks ago, the Swampscott Public Library acquired two therapy lamps, one of which can be rented out for a week by library card members. The two lamps, which together cost about $300, were donated by Swampscott native Deb Newman, on behalf of the town’s Commission on Disability.
Monday night, Mischoulon led an informative workshop that broke down the therapy lamp process and told attendees why they’re a good investment.
“Basically, the lamps are a way of treating this condition without using medication,” Mischoulon told the Item. “They give out a strength of 10,000 lux, compared to a regular lamp which gives out less than 1,000. The light hits the retina and as a result the retina sends a signal into the brain through a different nerve cell that affects the synthesis of different neurotransmitters, like serotonin and melatonin, which are involved in the regulation of mood and sleep.”
The process of the lamps is the same principle of giving someone a dose of sunlight, he said, and is one of the better studies used to treat S.A.D.
“If a person thinks they have depression, seasonal or otherwise, it’s a good idea to talk to a medical professional before buying a light or pursuing any other treatment,” Mischoulon said. “It is something that should be diagnosed by a medical professional.”
It is suggested that lamp users sit near the lamp for about an hour, with the light coming down on your face at an angle, according to Library Director Alyce Deveau.
When Newman came to the library with the donated lamps, Deveau said she thought it would be another, much-needed, way the library could make someone smile while keeping up with electronic-driven times. She turned one on and couldn’t believe how bright they were, she said.
“Heading into the winter months, I just thought this could be another way to make someone’s life a little better,” Deveau said.
Newman said she was inspired to donate the lamps after a friend of hers, an employee at the Burlington Public Library, got a grant for the lamps at her work.
“She mentioned it and I thought ‘wow, I never would have thought of that,'” Newman said.
As the most recent appointee, Newman said she paid for and donated the therapy lamps on behalf of the Commission on Disability, as they are gearing up to roll out some new ideas and initiatives. She wanted to showcase the revamped commission and thought the lamp donation was a good way to kick it off, she said.
“We all know that S.A.D. exists, so these lamps are good for people who can’t afford it or wouldn’t think of it,” Newman said. “People can sit and read a book and have that light on and it might perk them up a little bit.”
