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484508 tn?1290010544

seasonal affective disorder- light box

I just bought a light box for seasonal affective disorder. I actually have been feeling pretty ok without it, but thought I would purchase one.  Here is the deal. I used it for the 1st time today for 30 minutes, and now I feel a bit over stimulated  or somewhat agitated....Is this typical when starting?
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Avatar universal
Light boxes have been shown to help with seasonal depression, but should be used with caution in people with bipolar since it can provoke manic symptoms.  I would recommend starting with a lower dose of light, perhaps 8-10 minutes, and slowly work your way up from there.  Try increasing by 2 min every 3-4 days.  I find my best balance is about 15 min.  It may be less than the instructions tell you to use, but it addresses my depression without making me agitated.   Good luck!
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585414 tn?1288941302
  As it treats depression perhaps in some way it could activate mania as some other treatments do including medications and other treatments such as ECT that help on depression. Ask your psychiatrist if this is within potential and they could tell you what to do from there.
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