Seasonal Affective Disorder can be very serious, with some people spiraling into a dark depression over the winter months. The one good thing about this problem is that the treatment is relatively simple. Bright light boxes can be purchased for a home in order to conduct daily light therapy in a person’s own comfortable surroundings.
Bright light boxes are known to effectively treat SAD symptoms, allowing people to reclaim their lives over the winter months. Researchers believe that the bright light boxes mimic the sunlight which is available in lesser amounts over the winter. The light, via a person’s eyes, helps to regulate a person’s mood by signaling the brain and helping to control specific hormones and chemicals.
It is not just patients who are using the bright light boxes and who are singing its praises, but professionals in the medical community are also speaking out about the effectiveness of light therapy to ease the symptoms of SAD and the winter blues.
Dr. Christopher Pederson, MD, MPH, DABPM, said this when talking about the products sold by Alaska Northern Lights, “I recommend both the NorthStar 10,000™ and the Aurora LightPad™ for all my patients that suffer from Seasonal Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder. I am a true believer in bright light therapy and have numerous patients benefit from this treatment. It is a natural and safe treatment that is incredibly effective.”
Dr. Pederson is just one of thousands of doctors who can speak to the effectiveness of bright light boxes in treating SAD and seasonal depression. Nurse Christina Wolfe, RN-BC, also talks about the success she has had with her patients who use light box therapy…as well as with her own experiences with bright light boxes.
The psychiatric nurse, who works in a mental health clinic in Central Pennsylvania, keeps bright light boxes in her office. Ms. Wolfe has this to say, “It is great for me and it also gives me an opportunity to teach patients and their families about SAD. The psychiatrist with whom I work used to come to my office for his light treatment. He finally bought one of his own.”
Dr. Eric L. Fier, MD, has been pleased with the quality of Alaska Northern Lights’ bright light boxes and teaches medical students and residents about the treatment of SAD. “…Further, I have actively and successfully petitioned insurance companies to cover the cost of your light boxes, despite the availability of less expensive (and I believe lower quality) models.”
With the professional support behind bright light boxes it makes them an appealing treatment to SAD and seasonal depression. Medical professionals are singing the praises of quality light box therapy and know what it can do for patients.