Light Box for S.A.D.

Maybe this belongs down in the Alternative Treatments section, but I was wondering if anyone else uses a light box to combat the winter blues. Mine just arrived in the mail today and I plan to start using it tomorrow morning.   What has been your experience with it? 

I'm in California, so we don't need those , but I'm curious to see how it goes!

hope you're feeling ok?

I'm okay...it's been a little rougher than usual this winter. I haven't had a winter this "low" in years and I'm not sure why.

Another thing is I think my childhood ADD is coming back. I never knew what it was until my own son was diagnosed, then my entire childhood made sense! LOL I've managed to work around it for a long, long time but as I get older it seems like I'm slipping back into how I was as a kid. Unfocused, disorganized, then I get hyperfocused on some insignficant thing and lose complete track of time - to the point I miss appointments. Ugh. I have an appointment with my primary care doc in a couple weeks to get screened and maybe get meds.

I definitely don't want antidepressants - been that route and the side effects are unacceptable. I can deal with the ups and downs, but I need to get my brain back in order.

Hey Carolan,

Sorry this winter is bringing you down.  It does not help that this winter has been harsh and unforgiving, (all the more reason to recruit others to the rum runner express, ahem).

I may have seasonal affective disorder, except for me it seems to be every season LOL.  I can definately relate to the ADD, which I didn't realize I have features of until I started working with kids with ADHD and realized I was more distracted than they were.  (Which to my defense makes me a better therapist, because I understand).

I hate to bring up the "peri-m" word, but since we are basically the same age, I found myself getting more forgetful, disorganized  and moodier  starting last year, and think my dropping hormone levels are to blame.  (Why not blame the hormones).  I also think the mtx may have sped up the process, (although it's probably not the mtx..)

Anyway, hope the light box brings you a smile

Beverly

Actually, I do cat therapy to bring me out of the winter blues.  Perhaps you can train a cat to ride around on your shoulders like I do.  It seems to work LOL 

Carolan,

The winter blues is something I can relate to especially today. Been a rough one.

I hope the box works let me know maybe i will get one.

Beverly, I would love to train my cat to ride around on my shoulders, but mine weighs in at 23lbs he is a bit big and heavy for me!!!  Oh well I guess i will have to settle for him walking across my stomach while i am sleeping and waking me up by sleeping on my hair. 

thank goodness the dog isn't allowed on the bed or that 80lb monster and the cat would take up the entire bed and nowhere for me an hubby to sleep.

Oh, I'm sure fluctuating hormones have something to do with it.