How effective is light therapy for seasonal depression?

Question

How effective is light therapy for seasonal depression?

Answer 1

Hi---Because increased sunlight improves symptoms, light therapy is often a main treatment for many people with seasonal affective disorder. However, light therapy hasn't been officially approved as a treatment by the Food and Drug Administration because of a lack of definitive evidence about its effectiveness in clinical trials. Before you purchase a light therapy box or consider light therapy, consult your doctor or mental health provider to make sure it's right for you.

Light therapy mimics outdoor light and causes a biochemical change in your brain that lifts your mood, relieving symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. In light therapy, you sit a few feet from a specialized light therapy box so that you're exposed to very bright light. Light therapy is generally easy to use and has relatively few side effects.

Answer 2

If varies from person to person but can be astonishingly beneficial and is well worth trying.

Answer 3

It's very helpful.  During the darker months I use my lightbox (made by adobe) for about an hour in the morning.  An hour with full spectrum light gives you the same benefits as hours of sunlight.

Answer 4

It helps enormously! I have SADDS and sit under  or near a full-spectrum light for at least 3 hours a day in winter, or when the sun is behind clouds for too many days.