Lighten Up To Lighten Up Your Mood

New research shows that light therapy works better for Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) than depression medications.

For eight weeks Canadian reseachers gave 96 people either placebo light therapy along with Prozac or 30 minutes of daily light therapy plus a placebo drug. Researchers found equal benefit from both treatments. However, those receiving true light therapy reported improved moods in the first week. It took the Prozac group two weeks to report equally improved moods. While both groups reported equal benefit in mood, the side effects were not equal. People in the Prozac group reported Prozac side effects of agitation, diarrhea, and trouble sleeping while those in the true light therapy group reported no side effects.

To help ease Seasonal Affective Disorder, researchers suggest sitting for 30 minutes a day in front of a device that emits a 10,000 lux glow if natural lighting is not available.