Light Therapy Box Articles
Here you'll find articles on the subject of seasonal affective disorder, SAD, and the light therapy. Read the trailers and when you see something you want to read more about simply click on the "read more" link or select the title line in the left side bar to go to the article.
'Tis the Season to be SAD
The physiological changes going on during the transition from summertime to fall and on through wintertime can greatly impact a person's brain, causing some to temporarily feel blue. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is defined by Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary as "depression that tends to recur as the days grow shorter during the fall or winter" and is a serious matter. Symptoms vary and, typically speaking, all impact quality of life much more than a short-lived case of the blues. They include insomnia and/or sleeping too much, feelings of hopelessness, anxiousness, appetite changes (eating too much and/or too little), addled thinking, nagging sicknesses and social detachment.
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a mood disorder caused by a chemical change in the brain. It usually occurs once the daylight hours start to get shorter beginning in the early fall and lasting through the winter months. Other names seasonal affective disorder is often referred to are - SAD, Winter Depression, or Winter blues, and while depression is not always a symptom of SAD, it is the most common. Read more...
Utilizing Light Therapy to Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Light therapy is an accepted treatment for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and for people who suffer from the symptoms caused by a decrease in light in the fall and winter months, it can mean the difference between living a normal active life or struggling to function altogether. Autumn and winter months often mean we are going to work just as the sun is appearing and getting home long after it has disappeared. The workplace may have little or no bright natural light and the only exposure a person may have to sunlight during the day is a few minutes at lunch - if the weather is nice enough to go outdoors. Read more...
Most Effective Ways to Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Since usual light bulbs and typical types of incadescent lighting are not comparable to the light from the sun, they are not effective enough to be used as a treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Nevertheless, there are many varieties of lights that can help. These lights are specially designed to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder. Read more...
Links to Other Resources
Find a Doctor through the American Medical Association
Self Test for Seasonal Affective Disorder by Dr. Norman Rosenthal author of "Winter Blues".
National Institute of Mental Health - "Properly Timed Light, Melatonin Lift Winter Depression by Syncing Rhythms" - Research study on the use of full spectrum light therapy in along with Melatonin to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)..
