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May 21, 2008, 2:04 pm
Flag as Inappropriate luvbunnies42  

Has everyone ever done light therapy to help with seasonal depression?Has it worked for you?

I personally get more moody and sad during the winter and summer I'm happy and loving the sun. I know the sun helps with vitamin D levels and all but does light therapy work the same?

I don't recall hearing about light therapy before. Exactly how does that work? I get depressed at times, but I don't know if it is really related to any particular season.

Here is a pretty good explanation of light therapy I found.

In light therapy, you sit with your eyes open in front of a light box — a small, portable device that contains fluorescent bulbs or tubes. The light box emits a type and intensity of light that isn't found in normal household lighting, so simply sitting in front of a lamp in your living room won't relieve the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Light therapy mimics outdoor light and causes a biochemical change in your brain that lifts your mood, relieving symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.

Light therapy, also called bright light therapy or phototherapy, has been used to treat seasonal affective disorder since the early 1980s. Many mental health professionals now consider light therapy to be standard treatment for seasonal affective disorder.

However, light therapy hasn't been officially approved as a treatment by the Food and Drug Administration because of a lack of definitive evidence about its effectiveness in clinical trials. Results of some clinical trials have shown light therapy to be effective — and in some cases even more effective than antidepressants — while other research has shown that it's not effective. In addition, most studies have lasted less than six weeks.

You can purchase a light therapy box over-the-counter, which means you don't need a prescription. However, check with your doctor before trying light therapy to make sure it's appropriate for your situation.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/MH00023

I used to work with someone who was receiving light therapy, but I don't think she was getting it from a reputable source.

I do think that it could be beneficial if applied properly though.

I am the complete opposite -- I can't stand it when the sun is out and bright and shining. It bothers my eyes and puts me in a bad mood.

But I did have a friend who got a sun box and began sitting in front of it for a few hours a day. She did seem to get into a better mood. Now I don't know if it was indeed the light that did it or if the idea of buying the box and making a point of sitting in front of it for a time each day worked to cheer her by placebo effect.

Whichever it was, she did get into a better mood.

It also can't hurt to try it, so you might as well get some light therapy.

A light box sounds like a good idea in some ways but there are plenty of sunny days when I feel depressed too. This is definitely something I'm going to try next winter when the gloom sets in!

George

Light Therapy. Light therapy targets vitamin A and D conversions. When you ahve a deficiny of these two you geta condition the have named as SAD.

remember A&D are created through not only internal but a majority of teh creation is done in teh skin. In araes where theer is limited sunshine as in Oregon, Idaho, Upper Washington SAD is common. Lightboxes have a specific bulb in it that when turnd on emits the correct lightwaves to allow the skin to convert elements into vitamin A&D. thereby alleviating symptoms. Conversly if your body has too much Vitamin A&D you will ahve the reverse side effects. Such side effects of Vitamin overdose is photo sensitivity, migraines, nosebleeds.

here is a link that you can double check on

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195