Light Therapy For Mood?

[mkoven]

I posted earlier about lexapro and sam-e for my pms-- both the physical and emotional sides. Anyway, I was chatting with my sister who has battled depression for years and sees a psychiatrist who works for the fda.

He is really impressed by the evidence that bright light therapy helps many types of depression, not just seasonal affective depression. It has to be the right amount of light (10,000 lux), right kind, for the right amount of time, at the right time of day. Hard to tell online which light boxes fit the bill, and they run between 100-400 dollars-- not a trivial amount of money.

Has anyone tried it?

I know that I've always been very sensitive to lighting. I can't stand living and working anywhere that doesn't have big, open, sunny windows, and the first thing I have to do in the morning is open all the shades and curtains. Otherwise I feel like I'm in a cave.

Since I started seeing a psych, I'll ask him. As you can tell, I'm eager to pursue the non-drug option, whenever possible.

[kmpower]

Hi. I heard a physician speak who moved from Seattle to Florida because his wife couldn't alleviate the winter depression even with hours of strong light therapy. It helped, but not a whole lot.

Then they discovered she was terribly vit. D deficient and the D fixed her right up. Vit. D is a hormone and does much more than help the bones. Have you had yours checked?

But about the light, go for it. Especially if you avoid sun because of heat, you need light and maybe even D.

OLL

[pat57]

FYI

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-...1&cset=true

also

http://www.sunbox.com/

and try BOTH amber and green/blue glasses

[lavender]

hello

I have a light box. Living in alaska, where we have really short days in the winter and lots of long dark days, my psych recomended I get one and use it. Mostly I have trouble with my sleep cycle shifting later and later and my body not wanting to fall asleep. Using the light box at the right time, regularly is supposed to help with that. I was very sensative to the light therapy though and wasn't able to figure out how to make it work without it changing my sleep too much. After using it for a couple weeks I was wanting to fall asleep and dinner and wake up at 3 in the morning, rather than fall asleep at 3. My Mom is now using the light box. She has a hard time with the dark winters making her depressed. she likes the light box for, if nothing else, the wonderful BRIGHT light.

My doctor told me that they are finding that a lot of people who struggle with SAD are in need of Vit D. HE told to take at least 2000mg a day.

[Eli6596]

I have a light box at work and at home, the latter to use on weekends. I know that it definitely helps with my depression which worsens in the winter. Before I got a light box at home, my depression would worsen over the weekends.

It is expensive but so worth it. I recommend Northern Lights. They have nice customer service and their lights work.

Karyn