SAD

I am experiencing what appears to be SAD, seasonal affective disorder. It just feels like severe depression to me and the DSM makes no real distinction between the two.

The reason it is seasonal is that my shrink and I looked at my chart and every year for the last 3 years I get depressed in mid-November.

So I went on a cocktail of meds. They still aren't really working and I have finals so I'm kinda struggling.

I went ahead and bought a lamp that is supposed to help. Has anyone used one before? How does it work? And does it work?

Unfortunately it won't come for another week but I'm willing to try anything at this point.

I have SAD. Usually it manifests as me just not having any motivation and little energy when it's dark outside (includes early morning as well as late aft/eve). The light box is supposed to simulate a sunny day in May (that's what I heard). Unfortunately, it seems I've never had much success with using my light box but I'm using it now nevertheless just in case using it is preventing my current depression from being even worse.

I've read you're supposed to use it early in the a.m. but my former pdoc said you can never use it too much. I use mine around 7 a.m. for 1/2 hour. If it's effective, the time necessary varies. I've heard to start slowly (maybe 15 minutes to 1/2 hour and work your way up from there if it doesn't seem to be helping).

Good luck with it!

Thanks for the info and supportive response. I didn't buy an expensive one so it probably won't work that well, but it might. It also has negative ions so that might add to the effect. I am usually okay in the morning but fade really fast in the afternoon, even to the point of sleeping for hours and then I sleep another 12 hours at night so it's really a drag. And painful too.

Hi,

Have you heard about this study they are doing its called TLT. It's supposed to help those who are depressed and ( I think who suffer from sad) ...

What is TLT?