Light therapy: my doctor says only actual sunlight relieves depression and increases serotonin?
In looking through the internet websites, searching under "light thereapy critics" and such, I have not found any sites that can help me determine whether light therapy is efective. There is some info, but maybe there are sufferers of SAD who know more from expreience.
If you are a sufferer or a doctor,please help me wade through this question.
And have a great winter!
Thank you so much.
PS, overall my new doctor has been very informative and taken time to explain a lot to me. The issue is, I no longer qualify for low-cost insurance, and the plan I do qualify for will not cover mental health, etc. I am not sure if this can be called a medical condition, but come to think of it, maybe it’s worth paying for the higher insurance. My jobs do not offer coverage. Does anyone know if this SAD possibility can be approached as a strictly medical condition?
Filed under: Anxiety And Panic Alternative Remedies
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He is wrong. You can use lamps.
Artificial light has been used to treat SAD sufferers, apparently with varied success. I use a serotonin reuptake inhibitor to manage chronic depression, and apart from constipation, I suffer no side effects. Try to find a psychiatrist who is familiar with light therapy and try it- it may work for you. If not antidepressants may help. Constipation is a small price to pay for the relief from depression.
I’m not a doctor, but I am a therapist inside of a mental health hospital. Light therapy is very effective for a lot of people with SAD. However, just like any other health issue it is not 100% effective. I’ve had clients try it, see no results, but get better results from a medication. In my opinion a good doctor is in favor of anything that might help their patient. If you yourself are against taking medication I think trying light therapy is a great first option. If it doesn’t work and your doctor is not open to you trying a medication and/or therapy you may want to get a second opinion.
Hey. I dont have any personal experience, but i have been told by my previos psych that this treatment is useful for SAD. Plus, if money is tight for you, I would be inclined to invest in a good book about SAD and a light for your desktop if I were you(?) I have been thinking about getting a lightbox for ages, as I suffer depression and it is worse in the winter. It hasn’t been confirmed yet as an actual SAD diagnosis, but my psych is looking into it for me. There is a really nice bedside clock one that has a gradual "sunrise" and "sunset" feature. I think it’s worth a try. It can’t do any harm… You can get ones that sit on top of the computer, too, and travel ones… (not that i am a shopaholic or anything…!!)