whoopee, it's fall!

[uni]

Hello everybody. As a believer in the use of a SAD light for seasonal affective disorder, I want to mention that now is a good time to begin sitting in front of the light every morning. Maybe ten minutes at first, and work up.

I don't know tons about this, but feel it makes a difference, at least for me. It's also kind of a nice way to ease into the day. Have a warm beverage, check out this site (what else?), read, phone, meditate, pray, do a crossword, or any, all or none of the above . Until at least March. Oh, but you do get to go to the bathroom as needed between now and then .

[Re-O]

Hi Uni,

Sometimes that trip to the the facilities is the only thing that gets me moving

About the SAD light though. I haven't used one because I haven't had one. Can some one give me some direction about getting one? How does it differ from a regular lamp? Is it the bulb or the whole contraption?

I'd really like to give it a try. It sounds very helpful.

[Woody]

Re-O, you should really check with your doctor before trying one. This was strongly recommended when I attended the S.A.D. information session.

Depending on the type of household light bulb, they can emit anywhere from 100 lux to up to 1000 lux. S.A.D. lights depending on the model can emit anywhere from 7,500 to 10,000 Lux. On average, you need about 0.5 hours of exposure, preferably in the mornings. No you cannot use grow lights (i asked cause if I can get away with buying a 5$ light compared to a 100~200$ light I will ) and tanning beds are no good because you need to have your eyes open and exposed to the light to have any benefits.

Some pharmacies or doctor offices will sometimes have loaners that you can borrow before you make the expenditure.

[Stormy Weather]

I too have a SAD light and like it. However there are some risks involved, they are rare but are something to consider, one of them being mania.

The Mayo Clinic has some good info on them here: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/light-therapy/MY00195

[uni]

For sure it's a good idea to do some research before going ahead, and asking your doctor sounds like a wise idea. As with anything else, a SAD light isn't for everyone. My own experience has been good, and I mention it because often it is overlooked as a real alternative in treating depression.

At this stage of the game I find there are more questions than answers. Studies are being done and more info "coming to light" all the time .

Woody, I've never come across an information session like you mention. Who might give one? I'd love to go. Where I live information is as scarce as hen's teeth, so I glean what I can where I can. So far, so good.

[uni]

I've rustled up the address of a site I checked out many months ago and found rather interesting, all about circadian rhythms and such; light and darkness, sleep, etc. I know nothing about the organization that runs it, but it seems legit from what I can tell.

I have trouble posting links, but the address is www.cet.org

Holy crap! The link seems to have posted itself! Wha-at?

[Re-O]

Thanks everyone.

Great information. I am going to have a discussion at my next appointment. No harm in checking it out.

[AJ]

Way to go Uni!

[paul m]

Hello All. Who is this Uni person that uses wikipedia and links. For anyone who doesn't know how to add a link to your post ,all you have to do is copy and paste the link into your post or just type the web address and the forum automatically links for you. Like www.paulisslowatcomputers.com is a real statement but not a real link, but the forum thinks it is because it because it starts with www. and ends with com. If you want to see if your new link works, just press preview and then try the link. Take Care. paul m

Hello Uni and stormy. thx for the links, they are very good ones. Take Care. paul m

Hello Re-O. A few places rent SAD lights in southern western Ont. Dells drugstores for one(Hamilton). Unfortunately they cost almost as much to rent as a basic model does to buy.

The mood disorders of Manitoba has the best short explaination about them(well Woody's is pretty good too).

They also rent and sell them. I do not know if they rent them to people in Ontario or not($20 mth) but they also sell them ($200) . Again, they probably don't ship to Ontario, but the model they sell is a good one and that is a decent price. You can also pay much more. http://www.depression.mb.ca/sad.htm Take Care. paul m

[Woody]

Uni, it was part of an educational night for a supporter network. Yes they are very rare and when ever I can attend I try to, even thought it might not be relevant at the time.

The idea to consulting with your doctor first is that you can do more damage if you are suffering from S.A.D.

[Lovingtheheartinside]

You all are shining such light on this topic. Thanks

Hey Woody Good to see you around. Looking forward to reading your posts

Joanne

[uni]

Thank you Stormy and Paul for the links you gave; I found them worth visiting and may do so again. There seems to be more info out there than I realized, which is a nice surprise .

For sure Woody, checking with a doctor first is good; that's if you can find one who knows anything about the subject. I'm beginning to think it's rarely taught in med school .

Paul I hadn't laughed all day and then I read your "Uni person" comment and for some reason found it very funny . I guess it could seem a bit out of character eh?

I'm eating up this SADlight information. Please, sir, may I have some more (says the little Dickens character - what the heck is his name?)

[Woody]

Hey Joanne, nice to see you post again

Uni, Oliver would be proud

Now from the top 1 2 3 2 2 2

[paul m]

Hello Uni. I don't really think you are slow. I think that both you and I have have the same problem when it comes to computers. We enjoy using them, but we wish people would speak english. Words like copy,cut and paste,pull down menus and headers conjure up different ideas to me than they do to others. A header is a tumble as in" I took a header" .

Url's, jpegs links etc are all like a strange language to me and even though I have read a ton of science fiction, I had no idea what an aavatar was until I started posting here and PM was just my initials.

But we will learn(until they change everything again)

In regards to SAD, you had mentioned somewher else that you have the munchies a lot. That is a classic SAD symptom. (big help eh) The MDAO has a good fact sheet on SAD http://www.mooddisorders.on.ca/sad.html Take Care. paul m

[uni]

It's now the fall of 2012; I'm bumping up this thread because it has such a lot of helpful information about light therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).