How Do You Use SAD Light Boxes?
SAD light boxes are easy to use, but the intensity (lux) of the light, the duration of each daily treatment, the ideal time of day for treatment, and the distance you sit from the light has to be individualized. People who have ever experienced a major depressive episode or a manic or hypomanic episode should consult with a psychiatrist or other medical doctor before using a SAD light box. People with diseases of the retina or other eye disease should seek the advice of an opthamologist, who should monitor the patient during the course of treatment. Go online to the not-for-profit Center for Environmental Therapeutics (see link in the resources section.) Enter the site for consumers and patients and click on the “self-assessment” tab. Click on the the link for “Your circadian rhythm type Auto(MEQ.)” Answer the 19 questions in this free, anonymous test. “MEQ” stands for Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. Based on your answers to the MEQ, you will receive a recommendation about the b
