Every Autumn I get this sinking feeling that its time for SAD! Yes, I’m pretty sure that I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (self diagnosis, of course!).
The treatment is apparently sitting in a room for a certain amount of time with bright full spectrum light. So I ordered this bulb which is supposed to work as a treatment. It was £25 for ONE bulb. The bulb looked just like an ordianary bulb maybe slightly bigger. I replaced the odinary bulb in my bedroom with this SAD bulb…and what a disappointment it was!
Its very bright but the light is so white, that you feel like you are in a pakistani hospital ward! I’m so so disappointed.
Does anyone else suffer from this and have you tried anything in your house that works?
**i've read in a Medical Journal that when winter sets in and the days get shorter and shorter and as a result we receive less N less sunlight, we tend to get depressed which leads to even suicides. in most northerly countries in the world, the suicide rate goes significantly higher during winter.
the remedy to get better is: spend more time outdoors, engage in physical activities, put white light in a place where you spend most of the time during the day...a tube light instead of a bulb would do :) also, drink less coffee/pop!****
“Are Full Spectrum and Daylight Bulbs SAD Lights?
No, not at this time. Unfortunately due to clever marketing many people believe they can get a SAD Light treatment just by buying a full spectrum bulb or daylight bulb but this is factually incorrect.”
Stoppit, looks like the clever marketing got the best of me. I don't mind getting the dawn simulator, as long as I know that they really work! Can you ask your friend?
KKF, I don't like coffee or fizzy drinks, but I do drink about 4 cups of green tea every day. And yes I need to do more outdoorsy stuff!
Mirch, Hot cocoa sounds nice...but will it get rid of the blues?? :(
I think it varies from person to person, you wouldn't know until you got one. Check the reviews for whichever you are going for. The Philips are supposed to be good.
Being outdoors or comforting drinks don't help. The problem is the fact that there's only about 9 hours of daylight for us towards the winter solstice. That would make anyone depressed!
Actually I think there is another way to deal with SAD and that is to embrace the change ... cosy up the living room, put on a fire and read books and lap up the extra sleep time ...
I work 3 days a week, in summer my days off are spent doing lots of activites that I enjoy. But somehow it all sort of comes to a halt in Autumn and winter. Right now, on my days off I don’t feel like doing much, and Psyah what you suggested about sitting in front of the fire with my book is exactly what I do, but then I don’t feel like doing anything else …:(, and the housework piles up..sigh..and the visor you suggested, Psyah is sort of funny looking, I can’t imagine making my Kids’ parathas wearing this contraption…
I’m thinking of painting my kitchen a bright yellow, will that help??
MissF, get your vitamin D levels tested. The defficiency of it can also cause similar symptoms.
Those of us with tanned skin absorb less vitamin D compared to caucasians.
I’m so so disappointed.
!
