Sensitivity to Light

Light brings mood changes in people, not just from a visual standpoint, but it also affect circadian rhythms and serotonin and dopamine levels within people. This is because light itself, of any kind whatsoever, tells us that we are awake and that it is daytime and that our serotonin and dopamine regulators need to start working for our everyday lives. Some people are sensitive to specific types or wavelengths of light, but again this is a specific issue. Light itself is always appreciated and few people are sensitive to basic lighting. What about the people who are, though? This phenomenon occurs when the brain becomes so used to darkness that it begins rewiring itself for darkness. This is simply a form of adaptation that our facile and extremely versatile brains use to accommodate us to our surroundings. Over time, this hardwiring for darkness within the brain can become longer lasting and even permanent, but remember that things in the brain are not really permanent, but simply adapted to short term or long term changes depending upon your needs.

Individuals who regularly use drugs or alcohol, even to a small degree, become very sensitive to light. Since light engages parts of the brain associated with a well rounded personality and positive life experience and interacting with other people, it is understandable that abuse and light sensitivity go hand in hand. Interestingly, the reverse process is true. Since light deprivation decreases the individual’s ability to turn on their serotonin and dopamine receptors, these people are actually more likely to resort to drug abuse or alcoholism in order to receive some high in their lives.

While sensitivity to light is not the be all end all to evaluation of a person’s sanity, it can be a real factor in that, and so it should be considered, along with other factors which affect these neurotransmitters. CMM Technology recommends engaging your company in employee drug and alcohol testing as part of this compensation. Drug and alcohol test prices decrease from year to year, and the cost of drug and alcohol testing is low due to technological advances. Our Lion SD 500 and LifeLoc FC10 personal breathalyser devices are proof of this.