Start your lightboxes!

[jesse_the_k]

The Fall Equinox has passed and it's time for the seasonally affected depressives among us to begin our mornings with a bright dose of simulated daylight. As always, us bipolar folks have to be cautious about ramping up the light, and backing off if/when mania is noticeable (helpful to have another opinion on that one).


Advances in bulb technology mean we have more choices than the eight-foot long fluorescents I began with: LEDs are now available -- portable, cheap, and no flicker.

ETA: Don't use price alone to choose a lamp: it must put out adequate light to be effective. Very inexpensive usually means too dark. /ETA

If you're wondering what the hell "SAD" is, and how you know it when it sits on your chest, taste these resources, from the most general to the high-level specific:

General Overview of SAD causes, treatments, drawbacks, from a Baltimore MD psych clinic, ca 2002

MedlinePlus Overview & Link Spam MedlinePlus is a U.S. Government funded resource based on science and aimed at general audiences

MIND UK info MIND advocates for people with all sorts of mental health issues, and I adore that they have a "I need to talk to someone NOW!" link on every page (but can't speak to what happens on clicking).

Dr Dorothy Sit's lecture (+ transcript) on her research re: light therapy and mania for people with bipolar disorder She emphasizes that SAD is more common among people with BP, and that it's important to log and monitor lightbox use. Some researchers posit that SAD is a variant on the bipolar spectrum.

Comments

[dragonfly]

Interesting. I don't have reason to believe I have a clinical level of SAD, but I definitely notice mood changes with the loss of light. So does my mom. We both bought reading lamps with full spectrum light (I don't know if that's the same as the light in a lightbox) but best of all, we installed a solartube over the dark dining room table. We spend a lot of time at that table and having bright natural light piped in there in the winter has helped a LOT.

[jesse_the_k]

Those solartubes are amazing—even one just a foot in diameter makes a huge difference! Better news is you can slip 'em between the studs and rafters, so homeowners can install without degrading the house's integrity. (I bet you've seen a lot of homeowner repairs that make you headdesk.)

[firecat]

Some researchers posit that SAD is a variant on the bipolar spectrum.

Oh, so maybe that's why trying to use a SAD light made me stop sleeping and turn into a high-strung angry loon.

*off to follow the links*

[jesse_the_k]

I totally know the angry-loon-phase. I try really hard not to consume any caffeine while I'm using the light. I would prefer to use the electric sun for an hour, but that way lies becoming a truly unbearable roommate. Yet another axis where I'm denying myself something tasty.

I ramp up from 16 minutes to around 30 minutes in the dead of winter. I'm curious what will work for you?

[firecat]

Alas, I am an obligate caffeinovore.

I don't remember how long per day I was using the light—not longer than 30 minutes, I'm pretty sure.

If I try it again, I'll blog about it.

"high-strung angry loon"

[bibliofile]

What a great phrase! It also describes the depressed & unmedicated me pretty well. Though the short-on-sleep was (I suspect) more self-medicating for depression than anything else.

Re: "high-strung angry loon"

[firecat]

Thanks!

If only depriving oneself of sleep worked more reliably. I've had a six-hour/six-hour/nine-hour sleep schedule my whole life, and when I read about sleep deprivation helping with depression I suddenly understood why. But I only get a low depression day maybe once out of every six.

[rainbow]

thank you fo rthe reminder! <3

[jesse_the_k]

Excellent icon.

"Please install sun and restart!"

[heyfoureyes]

thanks for the reminder! i totally forgot, in part because the Vitamin D doses I am on now keep me more upright through the winter. But 15-30 minutes (start small) in the morning may alleviate the sudden need-to-sleep that I feel all the time.

[jesse_the_k]

Oh! I know just what that's like: a sack of sand opens up just over my head! Unfortunately 18 minutes isn't quite enough to keep the sand at home; I'm holding out hope for 22 mins.

I'm curious: are you doing the vitamin D under a doctor's supervision, or (since vitamin D is an over-the-counter med) taking it under personal advisement?

[heyfoureyes]

My family doctor now keeps track of my Vitamin D level on an annual basis, but I do play around with the dosing within reason and buying non-prescription Vitamin D myself.

Taking around 2,000 iu/daily all year keeps my level at 45, which is considered very safe. On no supplementation, it was always 15-25. My understanding is that the autoimmunity associated with my thyroid disorder sometimes causes low Vitamin D.