S.A.D. and artificial light

[kanesa]

Thanks for all your responses. I went to bed after posting. I was looking for some anecdotal stories about light boxes, whether they helped during long these long winter nights. It appears these light boxes cost about $100 or more and I wanted to know if they helped anyone before spending that kind of money.

karsen, don't worry, it does sound like a made up condition that George Carlin would have a field day with. I wish I could go snow boarding but with 2 artificial hips that would be hard. Then again, I hate the cold and try not to stay outside too long. I should live in Florida.

I am just looking for a way to better my mood this winter.

Blurb wrote:
Take a vitamin D supplement every day during the winter and that may help as well. Even though they've done studies to prove the existence of SAD and that it does indeed respond to light exposure, there's alot of thought that the real culprit is deficiency of vitamin D, since sunlight exposure to the skin causes us to produce vitamin D. Obviously, especially in the northern climes, people don't get much sunlight to skin time, and in some areas may go weeks or months without significant sun exposure at all. Unfortunately they've only recently started to do studies to prove/disprove the vitamin D link.

So, here's the winter PSA: Everyone needs at least 800 units of it a day, and many of us are not getting that.

I am a huge advocate of Vit D and already take 4000 units a day since my levels run on the low side of normal. I am trying to prevent breast cancer and the cardiologist said it helps with blood pressure. (God, I sound like an old person with numerous ailments.) Here's a great site about D

http://vitamindcouncil.org/

Racer X I hope your health improves soon. Sorry to hear of your troubles.