is light therapy a placebo ? PLEASE LOOK

It's quiet here, I think a lot of people are enjoying some sun. However I do know that many members of this forum feel they benefit at least partially from light therapy.

When I had my first winter of what I thought was full blown SAD, light therapy was my first treatment choice. It did help some. I'd say maybe 20-30%. I used more and more and more because I couldn't understand why it wasn't lifting the depression, after all it's supposed to be the natural cure for SAD. I suspect a lot of people find their way here when they also can't understand why they aren't getting the depression to lift completely in the winter no matter what they do. In my experience, people who are happy with the way they treat their SAD and don't have much trouble with it anymore, don't come here to talk LOL. Though occasionally we've had a post from someone who's dropped in to say that that is the case for them, to give hope to the others here.

The general assumption following the failure of light therapy to help significantly is usually that the SAD symptoms need "treatment" in other ways. You'll find loads of topics here discussing methods people have used.

A source I trust told me that if up to an hour of light therapy per day does not lift the symptoms, then there are other underlying problems. I used this as a springboard to continue my own search for answers, because I am not going to sit back and resign myself to feeling awful most of the time, and I don't think anyone else has to do this either. These are causes for these things.

In my case I believe I am still depressed because I haven't been working for 5 years (at home raising my daughter), and this lifestyle doesn't suit me at all. I have been working on getting a job. I have also cleaned up my diet, am taking nutritional supplements, and looking at any other possible avenues to improve my health: talking to a therapist, getting my mercury amalgam fillings removed. I'd like to exercise more but don't have much opportunity for that right now. It does help.

I wouldn't worry about what you saw on the TV. Pharma reps have one aim and that is to sell drugs. It's not surprising they are rubbishing light therapy, it's a natural treatment.

You are welcome to visit the Nutrition Info topic for some ideas about how to find the causes of your depression. I don't pretend to have all the answers but there are some ideas there that may help.

Best wishes,
Linda.

first of all i really appreciate the replies, your knowledge and advice is priceless and something i value very highly. i was strongly advised to take prozac with my light therapy but decided not to do so( i have used prozac in the past), i now realise i am going to have to go down this route starting with next winter.
also i just recently started to take care of my diet (with the help of the nutrition topic) and after a couple of weeks i already feel and look healthier, anything that improves my quality of life is very welcome indeed.

thank you

Hello,

the debate will always rage but it's whats best for you, I think light helps me but is not a cure. I would like better results from light therapy but I also know I would be worse without it.

Hi

Linda is right. You do not have to take Prozac. For the rest Linda and I will have to disagree. She has had bad experiences with antidepressants and wouldn't use them again.

I, along with many others, have had positive results with antidepressants along with light therapy as a treatment plan for SAD. Light therapy isn't a cure, it merely alleviates the symptoms somewhat until the days bring enough natural light to allow me to live normally. I also have a sunrise gadget on my bedside lamp, but I think I won't feel the effect of this until we get dark mornings again..... I can bear to wait for that experiment!

There are other medications than Prozac, which certainly for me proved not to be the drug of choice. I talked to my GP about it and tried another drug. Another medication combined with light therapy really eased the difficulties that winter brings and I shall start with that as my basis for treatment next winter.

As far as the SAD lamp is concerned, the new one I have bought is very small AND very bright. I got it because I thought it would help me to be strict about using it if it was more portable than my present lamp.