SAD and light therapy?

[cjackearl]

Not sure if this topic is too personal for people to feel comfortable posting about, but here goes. I'm terribly affected by the lack of sunlight in the winter months. Once daylight savings time ends, I feel like climbing into my jammies and going straight to bed at 6:00 PM. It just makes me feel really blah. I was considering a light box, but they are $$$, so I'd like to know if they really do help. Anyone that can give me any input, I'd be appreciative.

 

[Darkside]

When I was in my early twenties I worked as jewelry store manager in a mall, which had no access to sunlight. I did not realize how important sunlight is for your health and mood. Do they have tanning beds where you live?

 

[kldmom2000]

A friend of mine invested in one last year and she swears by it!!! I'm considering one myself as once the holidays are over and the winter never seems to end, I find myself in a funk.....

Good luck to you!

 

[sndfan]

You may also consider researching the connection between Vitamin D and SAD...if you are deficient in Vitamin D, supplements may help.

Best of luck.

 

[quasar4legs]

Come and spend the winter 'down under' in Oz, we have lots of spare sunlight at this time of the year. It's hot and sunny at my place today and I'm always green with envy when people start talking about snow.

Hope you can find something that that works for you.

Trish

 

[littleteapot]

Costco has a $30 off cybermonday coupon for a portable therapy light set today. The final cost is $109.99.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11159321&cm_mmc=BCEmail_362-_-FOCUS-_-72-_-goLITE

 

[Schmeck]

When I was in my early twenties I worked as jewelry store manager in a mall, which had no access to sunlight. I did not realize how important sunlight is for your health and mood. Do they have tanning beds where you live?

Tanning, even in beds, can lead to skin cancer. To fight off SAD, try to go outside every day (with sunscreen!) for at least 15 minutes. Even a cloudy day can give you enough light to overcome SAD.

There are also more inexpensive lightbulbs you can buy that give off 'natural light' - I find these help me with my SAD, but going outside for just a quick walk helps more. Do not wear sunglasses during the walk.

 

[gbdisneymom]

Both my mother, daughter and I suffer from SAD and we invested in full spectrum light bulbs and put them in every light in our house that we could. It really helps the blahs.

 

[cjackearl]

Thanks for the thoughts, everyone. I think I'll start with the light bulbs. Do they come in a compact florescent?

 

[bellebud]

Just wanted you to know I suffer from the blahs (not even blahs for me... I actually get really, really angry at the winter and living in NY). We now regularly book vacations the last week of january - I tell dh I absolutely MUST do this for my sanity. It gets really bad for me. so you're not alone at all!

 

[WisconsinDisneyGirl]

I feel like I have th blahs already! It started to snow kind of early this year in WI (last week) and then today we had 8 inches of snow. I feel like I am in a really bad mood and cabin fever has already started! Usually cabin fever starts after the new year. Maybe it is because we had such a terrible winter last year, a great summer, then another bad start to the winter. Maybe I sould look into the light bulbs. All my patients that have the SAD lights swear by them.

 

[MissyDVC]

Costco has a $30 off cybermonday coupon for a portable therapy light set today. The final cost is $109.99.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11159321&cm_mmc=BCEmail_362-_-FOCUS-_-72-_-goLITE

Thanks so much for posting this! I am going to order one for my DH. I didn't know about this type of light so thank you to the OP for opening up this topic.

 

[powellrj]

A doctor once told me that reading the newspaper under a light can help because the light bounces off the paper and help with SAD. good luck

 

[RobinFabulous]

Tanning, even in beds, can lead to skin cancer. To fight off SAD, try to go outside every day (with sunscreen!) for at least 15 minutes. Even a cloudy day can give you enough light to overcome SAD.

There are also more inexpensive lightbulbs you can buy that give off 'natural light' - I find these help me with my SAD, but going outside for just a quick walk helps more. Do not wear sunglasses during the walk.

You can do a tanning bed, with your clothes on and sunscreen, for like 5 minutes. I worked at a PT and we'd do it to help people with severe fibromyalgia.

 

[Schmeck]

You can do a tanning bed, with your clothes on and sunscreen, for like 5 minutes. I worked at a PT and we'd do it to help people with severe fibromyalgia.

That five minutes would require an SPF of 30 or higher, right? If properly covered, I could see this as a great therapy, as I do the totally covered up/sunscreen thing in the spring out on my deck, when I feel all worn and achey from a long winter. Just the feeling of the heat from the sun really helps.