- By: Hagrid
- Amount: $359
- Views: 3765
- Wish Points: 358.31
NOTE: I really need this at this time of year, so I am going to make another attempt at it. - Hagrid
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 decreases 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)
