Seasonal Affective Disorder

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Now that the nights are getting longer and the weather is turning foul, I find myself dreading the long, dreary season ahead, knowing that I'm going to start feeling tired and depressed at some point, even with my antidepressant medication. I've had SAD every winter since the second or third year we've been in Oregon, which is famous for its long rainy season (basically October through May, and sometimes even into early July), and every year it seems to get a little worse.

Now I'm ready to do something constructive about it, other than increasing my medication every winter (and not being able to decrease it when the sun comes back). I don't want to spend another winter on the couch, eating massive amounts of carbohydrates and feeling like I don't want to do anything. I'm limited as to what I can do outdoors in the winter, as I don't like being out in the rain, and my asthma tends to kick up whenever it's damp & chilly. But I do want to start being a little more active, and I'm interested in researching light therapy as well.

What I'd like to know is, do any of you with SAD use light boxes, and how effective are they at reducing your symptoms? I'm going in for my yearly physical next month, and I need some anecdotal evidence before I ask my MD for a prescription, as I imagine they're rather expensive and I doubt my insurance will pay for one. If there's even a reasonable chance that light therapy could provide some relief, it would be worth the money, but I'd like to know what your experiences have been before I invest in this equipment. Thank you.

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

I hate winter. I need to get a light too. I will watch this thread. Good topic.

renerian;)

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Alzheimer's.

I also live in Oregon, and I too feel the affects of limited sun, due to the rain, plus I now work the night shift. I was attending the last day of my IV Therapy class, today. We had a great teacher today who was asked about Light Therapy and he said it is worth the money, to prevent or help lessen SAD. He said SAD is very real for many Oregonians.

Recently I have begun to adjust to sleeping during the day, so I now sleep from 8 am, 8:30 am, until 4 or 5. So I will only have about an hour of daylight left, so I will need something to help prevent SAD, this winter.

I plan to look into the different models online this weekend.

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I am not sure what the light therapy costs per unit but I do know someone with SAD who uses one. She has her's in the kitchen and she uses it every morning while she has her coffee and reads her paper. She said that she used to use it a half hour every morning but finds that now that she is retired she can do about an hour each morning. She doesn't know what she would do without the light therapy. She has never mentioned cost, just how wonderful it has been to use for her. She has been using it every day in the fall and winter for seven years now and says it's been a tremendous help. She does take zoloft as well, but takes it for a shorter amount of time now (four months a year as opposed to six-seven before the light).

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It is affective MJ, many people are helped by having full spectrum lamps in their kitchens and other ares where they spent time.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Thanks, you guys........sounds like something I definitely need to look into. Hannasmom, I know what you mean about working nights, I did graveyard for several years and my SAD was absolutely horrible then.......wake up in the dark, go to work in the dark, go home in the dark. (BTW, are you in Western Oregon?) It wasn't much better when I worked long day shift hours either......get up in the dark, work 8AM-7PM or later, go home in the dark again. Now that I work 3-11, and have a chance to actually see some daylight, maybe I'll do a little better this year. We also live in a house that has several huge picture windows, and I never leave the shades closed during the day because we have all the privacy we need out here in the boonies, so we get lots of natural light even on cloudy days. I still think it might be worth investing in a light box for those really dark days in late February, when it's been raining for three months straight and it seems like forever until spring. Anybody know where I should start looking?

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I have SAD as well and I am dreading the winter season too. Now that the time has changed, the sun sets at 4:30 or 5 pm here in KY. that's just too early!

I have heard many people say that OTT lites work for people with SAD. It is a full spectrum light and I think that they come in light bulbs that will fit standard sockets. Last time I checked, they were like $35-40 for 1 bulb. I am getting one very soon as I don't want to spend this winter vegging out on the couch!

A

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

angelac-------where do you get these? Sounds like a viable option, meaning a helluva lot cheaper than a light box!

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mj, you can go to their website http://www.ottlite.com but here is the link for their "natural light supplement" page. I believe though that all of the bulbs that make are full spectrum bulbs, not just the ones on this page. Hope this helps!

A

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Thanks, angelac!! :kiss

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I used to tan (please, no flames) when I lived up North and I loved it! The whole aura of the sun-n-fun, music, light, and relaxation picked me up on the coldest and snowiest of days! I absolutely believe SAD affects many people, and believe in some type of LT.

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I have a light box, the company is called nu-you lighting. When I got it 3 years ago, I researched light boxes on the internet and it was the cheapest I could find. (I can't remember the website, or even if the company is still in business). When I use it consistently in the mornings, it works fine. My problem is, I get up so early, and I don't have time to sit down with it...I don't sit down to breakfast (I have a protein shake and have a fruit for snack later in the day). I don't want to get up earlier cuz I already get up so early. We have full spectrum bulbs in all our lamps, but they don't help much. I want to get one of those big lamps from Northern Lights that is supposed to be like a light box, but I think they are pretty pricey. I have a halogen lamp right behind me here, that if we replaced it with one of those lamps, would probably do the trick.

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