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Light therapy boxes can offer an effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder. Features such as light intensity, safety, cost and style are important considerations. By Mayo Clinic Staff
Light therapy. In light therapy, also called phototherapy, you sit a few feet from a special light box so that you're exposed to bright light within the first hour of waking up each day. Light therapy mimics natural outdoor light and appears to cause a change in brain chemicals linked to mood.
Treatment for SAD may include light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy and medications. Don't brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the "winter blues" or a seasonal funk that you have to tough out on your own. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year.
ANSWER: Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a form of depression. Year-round treatment with medication for SAD may be recommended in some cases. But research has shown that for many people with a history of SAD, treatment with a light box beginning in early fall can be useful in preventing SAD. Medication starting at that time may be ...
Bright light therapy is considered an effective treatment for SAD. Research suggests that around half of people who use a bright light therapy box have good results with symptom reduction.
Light therapy is thought to affect brain chemicals linked to mood and sleep, easing symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Dr. Sawchuk recommends using a 10,000-lux light box or lamp within the first hour of waking up for about 20 minutes.
Research shows that light therapy is considered the best treatment for SAD. By helping your circadian rhythm and balancing serotonin levels, research shows that light therapy may improve depression.
Using a light box or bright light therapy may help alleviate SAD symptoms. When using bright light therapy or light box therapy, the light should be 10,000 lux. Light box therapy should be used in the morning, within the first hour of waking, for 30 minutes, such as while getting ready for work or eating breakfast.
Starting light box therapy in early autumn may help prevent SAD from developing during the winter months. Light boxes or light therapy lamps mimic outdoor light by emitting a broad-spectrum ultraviolet light. Sitting in front of a lamp for a mere 30 minutes a day can have great benefits.
Treatment for SAD may include light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy and medications. Dr. Frye says providers often will prescribe light boxes, and there is one antidepressant available — Wellbutrin — that can prevent SAD.