Do You Need ‘Seasonal Light Therapy’ for All These Gray Days?
Meet Andrew. He's our digital media editor here at Townsquare Media and one of my favorite people. Every time I walk into his office, I am blinded by this thing that looks like an iPad, but it's just a crazy bright light. He says it's a seasonal therapy light and it must work because I never see him depressed! Here's what Andrew has to say about this item that sells on Amazon for around $45:
Verilux HappyLight my mom bought it on Amazon for me for Christmas. My brother got one to address his seasonal depression (SADD) and he was able to quit taking depression medication after using it just half hour every morning. So my sister got one and she uses it couple hours every day. I plugged it in to use during dinner 2-3 days after I got it and it was honestly that same feeling when you get to the beach, and you sit on your towel, and bask in the sun and go "Ahhhh". So I brought it to work and after half hour I couldn't feel anything, so I tried couple hours and it worked (more on that later) but honestly I feel better with it on so I just leave it on all day. How it affects me: every winter since my teenage years I get really sluggish and apathetic during the winter. Exercising regularly helps with the energy level, but I'm still really apathetic. Last winter I lacked energy like nothing I'd ever experienced, and I started getting really irritable, which was a new symptom but I've since learned is a common side effect of depression. I got a SADD medication in really low dose and after taking it a few weeks the fatique was gone, but it made me feel sick and weird. After using the light for just one day I notice all my symptoms down significantly. Probably 80% gone. I love it and recommend it to everyone. They're $50 or less so I don't know why everyone doesn't just try it. Last thing: people ask all the time if I don't get a headache from the glare. Not for 30-60 minutes but more than that... ABSOLUTELY!!! But if you have SADD and the choice is those symptoms or a light headache, I choose the headache!!! And I drink a little caffienated soda in the afternoon and it makes it go away.
For more on Seasonal Affective Disorder click HERE.