Posted by KaraS on September 6, 2004, at 23:34:45
In reply to Re: Light box therapy...any current users?ggKara, posted by sb417 on September 6, 2004, at 20:15:46
> Kara, I think the reason that spending a lot of time outdoors in the winter won't help as much is that the intensity of the light is not sufficient.
sb, I meant in terms of using it now. Larry said that you have to start to use it now before the winter comes. It's still summer where I am and it's sunny every day until late fall here (in S. Cal.) so I also wasn't thinking about it from the right perspective as someone in Canada or the midwest. But still, if it's only early autumn and still sunny there, then why should they have to start using it so quickly?
GG, I highly recommend light therapy. I've been using a light box for over ten years now. I can't live without it, and I really notice an increase in depression when I go on a trip and can't take my box with me (although you can purchase portable ones). I use my light box throughout the year but I use it for a shorter period of time in the spring and summer. We've had a lot of rainy, overcast days this summer, and I always use it on overcast days, regardless of the season. Granted, the light box isn't as good for me as real spring and summer, but it most definitely helps.I also have a light box but I haven't been using it. I'm going to start though - not just for the depression but also for resetting my sleep-wake cycle.
How long do you sit in front of it each morning? Is 30 minutes long enough or does it really vary? I've heard that some people require a lot of time in front of it - like 2 hours a day. That seems so impractical. Who has that kind of time in the morning?
-K
poster:KaraS
thread:386953
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040901/msgs/387440.html