Lightbox Therapy as a treatment for non-seasonal depression as well?

[thephoenix]

I was looking at some complimentary treatments for depression and came across the light box, which has been used to treat SAD for quite some time.

Science News / Mood Brighteners: Light Therapy Gets Nod As Depression Buster

What I'm wondering is if anyone has had any experiences with light box therapy not related to SAD.

Thanks.

 

[Into The Light]

Re: Lightbox Therapy as a treatment for non Seasonal Depression as well?

i think it would work. i don't have a light box but rather one of those devices that simulates sunrise/sundown. obviously not needed in the summer, but very helpful in the winter. i was suffering from depression (not seasonal) when i bought it and it helped.

not sure if this is what you are looking for but that's my experience.

 

[ladylore]

Re: Lightbox Therapy as a treatment for non Seasonal Depression as well?

i think it would work. i don't have a light box but rather one of those devices that simulates sunrise/sundown. obviously not needed in the summer, but very helpful in the winter. i was suffering from depression (not seasonal) when i bought it and it helped.

not sure if this is what you are looking for but that's my experience.

Where would one buy one of those devices and what is the cost? I'd like to get my hands on one of those things. :cool2:

 

[suewatters1]

In Canada check Sears I saw them in the store last year.
Here it is in the catalog $199.99

Daylight Therapy Device : Sears Canada

 

[Into The Light]

here are some places you can order a dawn simulator from:

New Dawn Simulator Sunrise Clock
Light Therapy Products - Seasonal Affective Disorder
math pi mathematical 3rd grade at pi-square.com and search for dawn simulator
http://www.biobrite.com/

in the UK:
Choosing Light Therapy - Light Therapy Products - Lumie Shop (homepage: SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder - Light Therapy - Lumie)

prices for the dawn simulator range from about $ 90 to $ 150 US, maybe slightly more now.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Seasonal Affective Disorder - SAD Lights - Seasonal Depression Disorders at SadLight.com

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Light Boxes, Bright & Spectrum Light Therapy, Winter Depression & Sleep Disorders Treatment

 

[Cat Dancer]

I have a light box that I used this past winter. I never thought about using it every day. It certainly wouldn't hurt anything. I definitely think it helped me through the winter.

 

[sister-ray]

I would love one but its the price that stops me, they do a rental system here but its still alot of money per month about ?34 which is a lot for someone on benefits.

 

[thephoenix]

I guess I'm just a bit unsure about ordering one as I don't think I suffer from SAD. I can't afford it, but if I thought it would help me to deal with my depression I'd make an effort to try and save up for it.

 

[ladylore]

How much sun does your area usually get thephoenix?

 

[thephoenix]

I live in Ottawa, so I guess a decent amount, but not a ton.

 

[ladylore]

I use to live in Ontario - the cold in your area would drive you inside I would think.

 

[thephoenix]

Ha Ha. I grew up in Saskatchewan, so the cold in Ottawa doesn't bother me.

I don't think I would buy one because I'm not getting enough sun, but more because I read an article saying that it can be a useful tool to fight depression in general. Although I'm not sure how.

 

[Daniel E.]

I read an article saying that it can be a useful tool to fight depression in general. Although I'm not sure how.

Interesting. The original research article is here:
The Efficacy of Light Therapy in the Treatment of Mood Disorders: A Review and Meta-Analysis of the Evidence -- Golden et al. 162 (4): 656 -- Am J Psychiatry

But it seems more like a statistical review rather than a review of the potential mechanisms. Looking at the 40+ references at the end of the article, I noted some papers from the 1990s that concern light therapy for nonseasonal depression.

A more recent article from 2007 is also optimistic about light therapy as a supplemental treatment for nonseasonal depression, at least in combination with antidepressants:

The available data show evidence for the efficacy of light therapy as an adjuvant treatment to antidepressants. Trials that evaluated light therapy alone (without antidepressants) in nonseasonal depression yielded inconsistent results.

Efficacy of light therapy in nonseasonal depression: A systematic review

Certainly, going out to get some sunshine is something I enjoy doing, but, living in Florida, I don't know anything about not getting enough of it.

On the not-so-optimistic side from the 2007 research article:

As there is currently no clear rationale for the use of light therapy in all types of nonseasonal depression, some subgroups of patients may bear specific circadian disturbances or other symptoms potentially within the reach of light therapy.

...The second approach to identifying light responsive patients would be to recruit depressed patients with symptoms that may reflect individual chronobiological characteristics such as increased diurnal variation of mood, early awakenings, etc.

Efficacy of light therapy in nonseasonal depression: A systematic review (requires library/paid subscription)

I never heard of the phrase "diurnal variation of mood," so the definition I found is:

Diurnal variation in mood is a prominent symptom of depression, and is typically experienced as positive mood variation (PMV ? mood being worse upon waking and better in the evening).

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T2X-4MVDVC2-1&_user=2139813&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=2139813&md5=46c8228855bb36ce5759dddf0038c56b

 

[amastie]

My primary diagnosis is not depression, though I experience (increasingly) low mood as a result of other factors in my life. I live in Australia where we have a lot of sun and I've never liked it at all - neither the glare nor the heat. I assume that I have drawn at some point in my life positive associations with cool and, especially, cloudy days. If I'm depressed, the sound of rain, even thunder, helps me. And I gravitate to very late night hours because I feel better at night, even if I've felt depressed during the day. For me, I feel safer and more at ease at night. When I lived in an inner-city suburb where the streets were considered less safe, I would walk alone along the narrow darkened streets and feel like they were my own private space. I know that's probably not safe thinking, yet it is how I felt.

The night shrouds me in its protection. Clouds hang like a cloak also to protect me.

Must be an association but I don't know why.

As for the sun, no thanks. Not ever.

amastie

 

[NicNak]

I had inquired to my Psychiatrist, quite a while ago, about the UV lights for helping depression. A friend of mine had baught the lightbox (and from what she told me they are quite expendsive)

He was a researcher up until a few months ago and said the studies on it didn't show significant improvements with light therapy. (for the record he didn't mention specifically the lightbox, just UVA and or UVB light therapys) He also said there are other benefits of the sunshine, that make us feel good, that cannot be reproduced through these lights. He said sunshine is pretty much a cocktail of things that make us feel better in the summer. It just isn't the UVA or UVB.
===============
Just to add. I don't personally have SAD and have never tried the light therapy myself.

I believe it works for some, and not for others as in any type of therapy.

 

[Daniel E.]

Light therapy: Not just for seasonal depression? - Harvard Health

Light therapy can help improve seasonal affective disorder (SAD). But many people don't realize that it can also be effective for major depression, and depression that occurs during or after...

www.health.harvard.edu

For everyone else who’s feeling down or depressed — whether related to the season or pregnancy, or not — an early morning walk can offer similar light therapy benefits. A bright sunny day is about 50,000 lux, and a gray day is around 10,000 lux. "Strolling outdoors soon after sunrise, even on a cloudy day, provides almost the same amount of light exposure as a light box," says Dr. Schwartz.

On sunny days, the sun is bright enough to get a therapeutic effect even if you wear sunglasses (which protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, he adds). If you walk for 30 minutes, you’ll also get a healthy dose of mood-boosting exercise. But if time or mobility constraints make that goal too challenging, sitting outside for just 15 minutes at any time of day may make a difference in your mood, says Dr. Schwartz.