Just to note that the lights used for SAD are not just ordinary full spectrum bulbs - which are not bright enough to help for SAD. They need to be high intensity lights in order to mimic the effects of natural daylight.

Yesssss.......... But it's the total light that affects SAD, not the intensity specifically, and it also depends on how much sun you're already getting. If I lived in a cave I might need espcially high brightness. But if you need only a certain amount to supplement the natural light that is almost enough-- full-spectrum bulbs of reasonable brightness can and do work. Not as FAST as a very-bright SAD lightbox, but if you can add them in such a way that you can have their use for several hours a day, the total light you get works out just fine.

Yes, when one gets a SAD lightbox, it is real, real bright. But it is not the only approach, just the quickest.

Think of it like this. I'm short on vitamin C-- I can take it in pill form and make it real convenient, or I can eat enough fruits and vegetables.

The natural approach can certainly be a workable option, if not a downright preference. It would not be the option of choice to reverse an emergency, but it can be a way of preventing one.

~Susan