I live in the far NW corner of Washington State, along the Canada border, and I struggle with depression.
It gets worse in the winter, because of Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly known as SAD.
SAD is a mood disorder that is caused by lack of exposure to sunlight. It is more common the farther north you go, where daylight substantially decrases in the winter.
Here along the Pacific coast of Cascadia, N of Seattle WA and S of Vancouver BC,
it gets even worse, because it rains.
A lot.
Not only do we get the limited light of winter, but that light is further reduced by a constant overcast of gray clouds.
I've been living in this region for several years now, and it's becoming increasingly apparent to me that I am living with SAD. When it is constantly gray, I get depressed, lethargic, & moody. All I want to do is sleep and eat. It affects my schoolwork, my personal relationships, even how clean I keep my apartment. When the sun is out, I feel much better!
The recommended medical treatment for SAD is bright light therapy. Specially designed light boxes, which produce 10,000 lux (20 times the normal brightness of normal indoor lighting), are placed near the patient's face for 30-60 minutes a day.
The student health centre here at my university has one, and I go there to use it frequently... and it seems to help. According to the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association, light therapy has shown to be effective in about 85% of cases.
Unfortunately, my insurance will not cover light box therapy. And, I'm full-time college student, I really can't afford to buy one on my own.
So what I would like is for the Robin Hood Fund to buy me a SunRay brand light box [ link ]Products/ProductPopUp.asp?ProductID=238' target='_blank'>link ] , which I would install next to my computer. These boxes may be bought new from the SunBox Company of Gaithersburg, MD, for $329.00 + $30.00 shipping. ( [ link ] )
I hope you'll consider granting my wish for a light box. Help me beat the winter blues!
More information on SAD:
[ link ] (more) 
Wish
Comments
thank you very much for you vote.
I have SAD too. I hope you manage to get your light box.
i too suffer from sad hope you get one!!
You deserve to win .. this is really great wish! would you please ...Please comment on my wish if you have time.. the link is listed below! We really need or wish to be granted .. We are evacuess from New Orleans Our lives are still not rebuilt as well as the city! .. WE just need some help along the way.. God Bless the Robinhoodfund! If you don't mind comment on my new wishes as well for the next round
[ link ]
by the way try ebay.com or bidz.com they may have it for cheaper!!!!! Anything I can do to help I will... I love helping people!
I suffer from S.A.D also, at times its really difficult to deal with it seems. I hope you get your wish!
Yes! I know what this is like. I used to live in CT and a light box would have come in handy! Good luck!
People suffer from depression world-wide, hell, I've even suffered from it. The thing is not to get stuck in a rut, if you don't do something to uplift yourself, nobody else can help you. Kudo's for wanting to beat the blues! By the way - my wish might be extremely expensive, but in SA everything is very expensive, just to buy a place for the sanctuary would cost me about R500 000, and that is without equipment... Good luck on your wish, hope things start looking up.
Terry:
You live here in Bellingham? Wow, what a small world it is sometimes.
I know exactly what you mean! I live in Bellingham and I heard on the grapevine that Western does have some similar lightboxes. I hope you get your wish! Good Luck!
smart wish. i live in vancouver, bc and i'm sick of the grey myself. don't get me wrong, i enjoy a nice rainy day from time to time to time... but come on! enough already. although there WAS some sun today...but it ended in fog...what was i saying? oh right, we're talking about YOU... you deserve the lamp. here's a whole wack of stars.
I've voted. I've known people with depression, and it can do terrible things to their life and people around them.
Sunny2007: Which choices that I have made in my life, specifically, do you believe are bad ones?
Perhaps you are referring to my choice to vote against Lopsided in MI's wish [ link ] on the grounds that she asked for an unreasonable amount of money. If that is the case, is it fair to say then that your "no" vote is in retaliation for my vote on her wish?
Hagrid: Good luck to you, I know what you mean about the depression and all;
I am the same way every time there is no sun, especially in the wintertime; but
where you live, Wow! I think I'd really go nuts (G)....I think I at least get more
sunlight here but trust me there are plenty of dark and dreary days here:
best of luck again to you and hey if you get it and it works for you PLEASE let
us all know, I might have to put that on my wishlist too:
Morganna
Life is full of choices... maybe you should make better ones.
I hope you get it!
Could you please comment on my wish .... there's a video on my wish page! Come and check it out!
I have a couple of friends who fight with this, so I sympathize with what you're going through. Good luck to you. This is a very reasonable wish, and I hope it's fulfilled!
I totally feel your pain. I went through that when I moved to the East Coast from California. I only made it two years then had to move back to the sun because I was so depressed. I hope you get your light box!
Hey, don't be sad, there's o lot of good things witch exist in life, and I hope you will find them.
I've heard about those things, they're super sweet. That's a very worthy wish; especially so considering your condition. I hope your wish is granted, and you get happier. You seem like a great guy.
My husband battles with anxiety and depression. It is hard to try to live your life that way. I hope you win!
Hi Hagrid,
I know that feeling, im living in denmark and here is so awful to ,we dont have to much sun..now is getting worst!!! That's why Im supporting your cause, hope you can have theraphy light with that nice thing.Hope u win....!!! Im eating more chocolate now..
I've had depression, and my mom has SAD. I know how awful it can be. Here's to sunny days ahead!
that's a cool invention. i can relate, depression is no joke! i have battled with it off and on for a good portion of my life for different reasons and anything that helps is a blessing. good luck!
hey, when i'm back in northern vermont (my home when i'm not in south asia)depression hits big time during the winter. as soon as i head back towards the equator, things are fine. now, you could move to a warmer clime! but, if like me, you absolutely love your little spot on the world map,as far norh as it is, then a sadd light is a great investment. someone out there, help this man!! depression is no joke!
A very good wish indeed. Hope you get it and helps. :)