light box for SAD therapy
 

I've been to a lot of other sites,and gotten a lot of different info. I know the guys here only talk about what works. So my question.. Anyone built a light box for SAD therapy? What type of bulbs did you use? Thanks...Ed

I built a wooden frame holding three dual 48" fluorescent fixtures and four 100W incandescent bulbs and suspended it over the chair where my wife spends a hour or two during the evening. It took care of her SAD problem.

Gloomy weather can push borderline-depressed people across the border into SAD, but the correct remedy isn't necessarily daylight lamps.

The best cure for depression that I've employed is regular aerobic exercise. It's hard to be SAD when you're high on endorphins. Second-best: having a satisfying job and a reliable network of friends. Try those things first if you're feeling scientific, or in parallel if you're feeling ambitious.

I know building a satisfying career and social life doesn't happen overnight, and for many doesn't happen at all, but I'm totally serious about the exercise recommendation.

My wife is bothered by the endless cloud and rain that our winters can bring so I bought a 50 or 75 watt full spectrum long tube florecent bulb normally used to grow plants or aquariums and set it up as a task light by her sewing machine. When she sews she uses it to light the entire desk and it's really helped out.