Question:
Could someone offer some advice on Light Terapy and if insurance will pay
for this type of treatment? Is there some place on the internet to buy
these lights?
Answer:
A common form of treatment is light therapy, in which patients sit within
inches of large rectangular screens that emit intense white light. With the
increasing popularity of this approach, furniture stores in Tromso now sell
items called Bright Lights, priced at about $250 per unit. Some companies
provide the lights in the cafeteria, so workers can take "light breaks" along
with their coffee breaks. I have read SAD articles refering ONLY to "bright" light -- no mention of
or claims about actual SAD treatment requiring anything but "bright" light.
No need for his ultraviolet-supplemented lamps
for SAD treatment. It also warns about 'reddening' of the eyes and says back off from the
lamp if you're getting sunburned eyeballs. That's going to cut the
brightness down to where it's useless for SAD treatment. You can't sit
up close to a UV source safely; the damage is painless and cumulative. Don't confuse high color rendering (triple phosphor, SPX) lamps with
ultraviolet source lamps. Both get called full spectrum. The former is
pretty light, not needed for SAD. The latter is pretty dangerous, and
not needed for SAD. This is the dark time of year for people with seasonal depression. BE
CAREFUL. You do not need and won't benefit from UV-containing lights.
Starting bright lights now can help -- starting them next August, before
the slide into depression, may help considerably more.
