Light Therapy - About Light Therapy

What is SAD?

Those with clinically diagnosed SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) are not merely blue during the winter; they are severely incapacitated by the condition.

SAD is characterized by four central features:

1. Recurrent major depressive episodes that start around the same time each year (e.g. September-October) and end around the same time each year (e.g. March-April);
2. Full remission of symptoms during the unaffected period of the year (e.g. May-August);
3. Experience of relatively more seasonal depressive episodes than non-seasonal episodes over the lifetime course of the illness;
4. Seasonal depressive episodes that occur in at least two consecutive years.

The number of people who suffer from SAD is estimated to be about 900,000 in Canada, and about 3 million in the United States. Light therapy is recommended by many medical experts as the first line of treatment for SAD. (See the Consensus Report on the Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder, edited by R. Lam, 1999.)

CAUTION: If you suspect you have SAD, consult your physician for a clinical diagnosis. While light therapy has been identified as the first line of treatment for SAD, it is not the only treatment used. Certain individuals may respond better to drug therapy, or a combination of both.
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