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Bright light therapy lamps work to beat Seasonal Affective Disorder and the Winter Blues For your health and safety, choose only products that have been clinically tested and meet all Design Standards set out by research experts - such as Day-LightsTM, which are recommended by the non-profit Center for Environmental Therapeutics (CET), and used exclusively in a new light therapy clinical program at Columbia University's Presbyterian Hospital. CET Standards for Light Box Design: Only light boxes should be used for bright light therapy. Visors have not yet been shown effective in placebo-controlled studies. The light box should provide 10,000 lux of illumination at a comfortable sitting distance (with the eyes 12 inches or more from the center of the screen). The lamps should give off white light rather than colored light. (Extended exposure to blue light may be harmful to the eyes, and red light is not effective for light therapy.) Fluorescent lamps should have a filter that blocks ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays are harmful to the eyes and skin. The light source should be covered with a smooth diffusing screen that evens the delivery of light. Bare bulbs and sharp points of light can produce intolerable glare, forcing your gaze out of the therapeutic field. Color temperature of lamps should be in the 3000-5000 Kelvin range for comfortable usage. Light boxes should be equipped with high-efficiency ballasts that operate at 20,000 cycles per second in order to avoid flicker that can cause headaches.
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The Light Box Anti-Depressant
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My psychiatrist prescribed a white light box to help combat my periodic depression, always at its worst from Sept.-April. I did a lot of research (Consumer Reports etc.) and learned that what I wanted was a "White Light" box, not blue light or full spectrum which are useless and/or dangerous. There's a lot of quackery out there. White light does not contain UVA or UVB rays, and has been used in hospitals to combat depression for almost 20 years. It helps in about 50% of cases of Seasonal Affective Disorder. I found two brands that met my criteria, and found this one on Amazon for about $25 less than list price. I felt the effects (of 30 minutes daily exposure in the morning, as directed) in less than a week. I have been completely free of depression, and full of energy ever since, three months and counting. Over Christmas, I was away from home, in a city where it was heavily overcast the whole time. On the fifth day there, I awoke depressed. Returned that day and it took me 4 days to feel good again.
My one quibble is that the box is rather awkwardly designed; it took a while to find a convenient place to use it correctly. As it is too large to travel with, I am going to look for a more portable one, and will start with Up-Lift Technologies as I am so completely happy with the wonderful effects of their product.
Rating: 
(5
out of 5) @ 2007-01-04
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