Light Therapy / S.a.d.

[lorka150]

I was just wondering if anyone has done light therapy.

[Generic]

My mom has and she swears by it. We live in WA so the light is limited here in the fall/winter months.

[jayhawkmom]

Yes, I have.

I was dx with SAD a number of years ago. I grew up in an area that had very little sunshine in the winter months, and not an awful lot during the remainder of the year.

I did light therapy for a couple years, but I had since moved to an area where the weather is much more suited to my tastes, lots more sun - winters are very mild, and no longer require the light box the way I used to.

I swear by it too - it did work very very well. =)

[melie]

Yes, I have been doing it for about 5 years now...my light box comes out between November 1 and December 1 (whenever I start feeling the slide downward) and I can put it away usually by the first week of March. I sit in front of mine 1/2 hour per day, in the morning after waking. You have to be right in front of it, directly or semi-directly gazing at the light from 12-15 inches away. The difference I found after starting using it was dramatic, within 2-3 days a big difference, now I definitely wouldn't do winters without it.

[burdee]

I was dx'd with SAD in 1998. I use a large 'sunray' light box for at least 30 minutes in the morning in my studio on cloudy days. I also have a 'sunray junior' by my place at our 'breakfast' bar which I use when I eat breakfast and lunch on cloudy days. We have LOTS of cloudy days in Seattle, WA. LOL However, I get outside and walk at least an hour in the sunshine on those rare sunny days. We also replaced all our light bulbs with full spectrum bulbs and fluorescent tubes throughout our house.

Nevertheless abstaining from gluten and my 4 other food allergy sources goes a long ways toward improving my mood and energy level. When I'm not in pain, I feel sooo much more optimistic. I'd still move to Maui in a heartbeat if I could afford to live there. LOL

BURDEE

[Lauren M]

I definitely get the winter blues, and on the recommendation of a therapist, purchased a Verilux Happy Light.

It's hard to find the time for it when you're rushed in the morning (as I am), but my mother remarked that she noticed that it seems to have made a great improvement in my attitude. I do know that I've been more social for this time of year, whereas usually this is the time that I tend to isolate and just tend to be a bum at home.

I did recently read an article that for those of us who had to "spring forward" this weekend with daylight savings time, SAD is going to become more of a concern, as it will generally be dark when many of us wake up in the morning. For this reason, I'm really going to make an effort to have my light on when I first wake up, as I'm getting dressed, brushing my teeth, etc. It may take a little extra time in my pre-work routine, but hopefully it will combat SAD-related issues.

- Lauren