Seasonal Affective Disorder

[YoungAtHeart]

Hi all,

I wanted to post a few sites where you can check out light boxes. For those of you who don't know about light boxes, they are used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder or the "winter blues". You sit in front of them for at least 1/2 hour in the morning (yep, first thing when you get up--have your coffee or herb tea and read the paper). They have to be at least 10,000 lux to be effective.

Here are the ones that look good to me:

Alaska Northern Lights - SAD Light Therapy Box
Full Spectrum Lighting and Light Therapy
Sunbox Bright Light Box Therapy A natural, drug-free treatment for Seasonal Depression SAD, Winter Blues, Jet Lag, Insomnia, PMS and more.

You may have to check around a little on these sites for the products, or you can just google "light boxes for depression", which will produce lots of sites as well as some informative reading.

Hugs everyone,:l
Kathy

[Accountable for Me]

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Gosh, I cannot believe it is that time of the year again.... how time flies. I remember a bunch of us here discussing light boxes this time last year.

Where does the time go???

Thanks for the information Kathy.... I am sure it will be of some use for many!

[Cinders]

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Kathy,

I am a SAD sufferer. My husband picked up on it before I did. He noticed I get really depressed in the winter months.

Thank you for the information. You posted it at a really good time.

Love,
Cindi

[Prest4time]

Seasonal Affective Disorder

I too struggle with this, but since moving to Florida I have not had this issue too much. Its sunny and 75 degrees every day (in the winter). The summers are where I need therapy! Like simulated snow factories..

I really discovered how much light and the ability to be "outside" really affects me. I love to be outside, nature, etc. So this works well for me, but I do miss the snow.

When I lived further north and cold was "it" for 8 months.. a visit to the tanning bed did wonders for my mood! Put on sunscreen and go to the bed. Wear your clothes. Enjoy sweating and the light therapy! It really does help with SAD.

P4T

[KateH1]

Seasonal Affective Disorder

At one time, I lived for a few years in Michigan. SAD is a huge issue there. Weeks would go by with no sunshine, just dull and grey. It was really tough to get through those dark, grey winter months.

Fortunately, I live in Colorado now, and even though we do get snow, we rarely go more than a day or two without sunshine and a bright blue sky.

My heart goes out to our friends in the north that must live in environments that can bring on SAD. Hope you all find a remedy for this.

Best to all of you,
KateH

[CaptJBean]

Seasonal Affective Disorder

And for those of you with or without a sick mind its called a Happy Box...
Look to the LIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!
[ame=

]YouTube - Changes - David Bowie[/ame]

[jane jane]

Seasonal Affective Disorder

I'm with you, Prest4T---AUGUST is when I feel as if I want to crawl under a rock. I adore gray skies, chilly rain, snow (not that we see much here down South)---and all that goes with it---curling up by a roaring fire with hot lemon tea and re-reading *Jane Eyre,* *Wuthering Heights,* and all the Jane Austens...making nine-bean chili...but UGH, come summer and the relentless scorching heat, no-color skies, mosquitoes, etc., and I feel SO blue and dream of moving to Ireland or the north of England. I HATE sun!

Something to consider: what sociologists and anthropologists call "genetic memory." I wonder how many of you who get SAD in wintertime have ancestors who lived in equatorial or southern-European climates? I'm pure English-Irish on both sides, albeit a few generations removed, and when I travel over there my very soul feels as if I've somehow "come home." Bring on the fog, I say!

[hart]

Seasonal Affective Disorder

I definitely am a sun lover. The worst SAD I had was in Seattle. Come January it usually RAINS (though not this year as much) and you wake up in dark and get home in dark. I really felt it there.

I'm feeling pretty depressed now and it has been kind of dreary here. Snow, Snow, Snow. I don't know about a SAD Box. I'll check out the site and see how much it is. Joe still hasn't gotten me a X-mas gift.

Thanx Kathy

[trixietrack]

Seasonal Affective Disorder

I just read that vitamin D3 really helps with SAD. I have been taking it and also exercising and have only experienced mild depression that I overcome easily.
The winter months are hard for me. it's 60 degrees here in NYC maybe that has something to do with it though.

[wonderworld]

Seasonal Affective Disorder

I suffer from SAD big time. It's getting to the point where I'm almost convinced that I really NEED to live in a warm sunny climate. I can't stand losing my inner happy place every year for 4- 5 months. My whole life people have thought I was from California - I'm a beach girl. And when I lived in Fla for a couple of years I was in bliss. The heat doesn't bother me a bit. But where to live? Any ideas? Cali? Fla? Mexico?

Jane Jane - you bring up an interesting theory and it makes sense. But my ancestry is northern european, so clearly someone in my family tree had a booty call with a Jamaican

Blah!!! winter!!!

wonder xxx