Box or Visor?

I'm more interested in using a visor, but I've heard in a few places that visors have not yet been proven effective.

A box would be the other choice, but I rarely if ever have 30 minutes or more to sit down in one spot in the morning before school. I don't see it as much of an option, but if visors don't do their job, then yea.

I'd also like to hear about any opinions from people using the "Feel Bright Light", which claims to have both an 8000 and 12000 lux setting, but then why do all of the other visors on the market have lux ratings between 500 and 3000, which is quite weak?

I have a Bright spark lightbox but was fed up of sitting still for so long, conscious of whether or not it was at the right angle and feeling "here I am again looking at this". As it took so long sitting in one position to get my therapy I ended up cutting it short and skipping sessions as a session itself was depressing me. I also found that by the time I had got home from work, Made the evening meal and got myself sorted out ready to sit still it was getting too late to have an evening session. I think that this may be one reason why I have had a bad year. As a result I bought myself a visor a couple of weeks ago and I love it. I can just stick it on my head as soon as I get in from work and get on with doing what I am doing rather than feeling I have to take time out. It was also really useful last weekend as I was able to take it on a short holiday to Europe with me, ensuring that I continued to get my light therapy. I still use my lightbox to take to work with me and put on my desk in the morning as this is no problem as I am sitting still there anyway.

Gosh Nebula, thanks . . . I do hope you enjoy your visor. I couldn't do without mine.
Bill, being in the UK, I think the best visor option for you would be the Bio Brite from Outside In. There aren't many kinds of visors around but this is a good one. It's manufactured in the USA and Outside In change the electrics around to adapt it for UK use.
The visors give off less lux because the light is shining inches from your eyes. The intensity is roughly equivalent to sitting a standard distance from a light box. The Bio Brite, I feel, is as good as a 10,000 lux light box. The Solar Max, though cheaper, is only half as bright and doubles your treatment time.
I've been aware that not much research had been done into consistent use of the visor to treat SAD, but I'm willing to vouch that mine is very effective for me. I may be stuck using it for 3 hours right now, but that time has changed a lot over the past year and there have been times when I've been blessed enough to only need it for half an hour. I hated wearing it at first, truth be told, but I knew it was a necessity and gradually I got used to it, til I was at the point where I often forgot I had it on. If I'm in a bright room I am free to do most anything I would normally do, visor or no.
I thought you'd already ordered your light box-?
Take care,
Linda.

My mom already decided that we aren't getting a visor, yes, "we", because she has skipped the steps of going to a doctor and/or psychologist for SAD and has diagnosed herself with seasonal affective disorder, which I frankly flat out do not believe, mainly because she doesn't show many symptoms, and she can blame her menopause for her depression (she takes zoloft for it) and her hypothyroidism for her other symptoms (she takes synthetic thyroid stuff or whatever). But, she thinks she has it, and she wants us both to be able to use a box at the same time. I think this is going to hurt my own treatment because I just flat out barely have 20 minutes in the morning to sit in one spot. I'm ordering a dawn simulator to try to help with my morning issue so that being alive at school won't always be so bad if I can't by daily dose of light in. Meh. I should still be able to get supplemental light in after school at around 3-4, which I've seen suggested anyways with the delayed circadian rhythm's all too infamous 5 o' clock craptastic time. I've gone ahead and ordered a Biobrite EZ wake off of ebay for a hope-its-not-too-good-to-be-true 20-some bucks, which was an incredible deal. Can't wait for that to come in the mail.

By the way, my mom called the insurance company herself (big mistake letting her do that, btw) and they supposedly set up to order a light box for us last week thursday (isn't here yet) and I have the feeling this is going to end up being one of those f**king 6-8 week deals. She didn't even ask what model it was going to be, if it would come with a stand, if it used blue or white light, or whatever, so now I'm stuck not knowing what the f**k is going on with this whole thing, and when I've tried to ask her questions about anything that has to do with my treatment of SAD, she freaks out and starts yelling at me, because she thinks my wanting a light box is just me pretending that we're rich throwing the money out the window again, which is really pathetic, because this is a matter of my own god***ned health and wellbeing and she's cheaping out on me here. Sorry about being so freaking pissed the hell off. Maybe you understand. At least not next tuesday but the week after I have another appointment with my shrink. I'll let some of this out on him! Heh.

It's quite all right to come here and vent. We all do that. Sounds like you're in a frustrating situation. If your mother is a depressive (as I assume she is, since she's on an antidepressant) then I can understand how it's so easy to think you've found the magic bullet to fix the problem: oh yes, it's SAD -- all I need to do is use light therapy and I'll feel better. When you feel lousy a lot of the time, it's all too tempting to think the next thing that comes along and gives you hope, will be the cure you've been praying for. Sounds like she certainly has some issues of her own, but no it isn't right that she's doing these things without discussing them with you, as it's your life and your treatment. Do you think she'd be wiling to have a calm discussion about it, can you catch her in the right mood?
Fingers crossed for you Bill, let us know how it goes.
Linda :)

I have had a FeelBrightLight visor for a couple of years now. I have not tried any boxes but the visor has made a significant difference in my mood. I live in Scotland and never experienced SAD until I moved here. My wife now believes I am now somewhat bearable (ugh!) in the winter.

Well, it'll be nice to walk around doing stuff while you get treated with light therapy - although you'll be kind of blind.
I've been looking around, and found this website with a review for light therapy website: http://lighttherapyforsad.org/light-visors-light-therapy-for-sad/