Seasonal Affected Disorder and Light Therapy

Seasonal affected disorder (SAD) tend to be a result of a reduction in sunlight during the winter months of the year and can have a major impact on the quality of a suffers life, but it is a treatable disorder and many people find relieve from the symptoms of winter depression through the use of light therapy. This type of therapy has proven to be extremely effective in the treatment of seasonal depression with the light boxes coming in different types. The most common light boxes emit a light at 10,000 lux (intensity of light emitted) and are generally used for 15-30 minutes daily. Light emitting diode (LED) boxes that emit a blue light are also becoming popular. Although these devices are a safe and effective method for treating SAD many people discontinue the using this form of treatment because of the time and commitment required or because they get bored or restless when using the light box. Here are a few tips on using light therapy and getting the most from each session. 1. Make yourself comfortable. Make sure the room is at a comfortable temperature and the chair you sit in is comfortable and relaxing. 2. Keep busy. When using a light box you do not need to sit motionless and stare at the light (do not stare directly at the light) for 15-30 minutes or more each day, if you do this you will soon become bored with light therapy and the box will soon end up in a corner unused. When using the light box keep yourself occupied to avoid becoming bored. Remember you only need to look in the general direction of the box and while doing this you can read the morning paper, watch television, eat a meal, surf the web or even exercise. 3. Keep a routine. Most people find using a light box at certain times more effective than at others times and for many people this time is first thing in the morning. Once you know which time of day is best for you then stick to the same time daily and make the use of the box a daily routine. For most people who suffer from seasonal affected disorder the use of a light box helps to bring rapid relief to the symptoms of SAD, however is you have been using light therapy for 2 weeks and have not noticed any benefits then consult your doctor and consider using antidepressant alone or in combination with light therapy.