Seasonal Affective Disorder also known as SAD or winter blues is a form of depression that is triggered by the seasons. Folks who have normal psychological health for most of the year undergo depressive symptoms in the winter or, less often, in the summer, spring or fall, frequently, every year. Women are most likely to be diagnosed with this disorder than men.

Typical Light Box In Use

Symptoms of SAD may include: Fatigue, body aches, poor sleep, overeating, particularly a desiring for carbohydrates, which cause weight gain. Additional symptoms consist of: a drop in energy level, difficulty concentrating on carrying out tasks, and withdrawal from family, friends, and social activities you used to enjoy. All of this causes the pessimism, depression, and lack of happiness which characterize an individual suffering from SAD.

People that undergo summer and spring depression (Reverse SAD) show symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, decreased appetite, irritability, an increased sex drive and weight loss.

There are lots of different treatments to alleviate the symptoms of SAD (winter based) including light therapy, otherwise known as bright light therapy, include making changes to your house like adding skylights or changing your Houston shades or your Houston blinds to filter in more light to using several forms of medications.

The main thing that seems to affect people with this disorder is the lack of light due to cloudier conditions and shorter daylight hours during the winter season. In order to tackle the light problem with SAD sufferers, light therapy has been used to cure the symptoms of this disorder.

A light therapy box is used generally to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This is a device that imitates natural sunlight and is generally used for up thirty minutes daily to help alleviate some symptoms of SAD and its associated disorders.

Light therapy products offer a much more intense light than conventional luminous bulbs are able to. The illumination is generally white “full range”, though blue light therapy is also used for certain conditions. The light box has known to be efficient at doses of 2500 – 10,000 lux, the patient sitting a specified distance, usually 30-60 cm, in front of the box with his/her eyes open but not gazing at the source of light. While sitting they can carry on with other activities like reading, sewing, or knitting etc. The light treatment is most often done in the morning, but researchers have suggested that either morning or evening light can help seasonal affective disorder. It varies from person to person but characteristic use of light therapy is recommended almost daily for an extended period of time.