Nevertheless, many doctors remain skeptical. It doesn't help that sunlight also is a favorite New Age cureall, thought to have magical properties. And those most likely to seek light therapy also tend to have the most faith in it. For a smaller group, it's like night and day. It works like magic.
Most SAD researchers are convinced that inadequate light creates a disturbance in brain chemistry.
When light rays strike the retina of the eye, they're converted into nerve impulses and move toward the brain. But among SAD sufferers, something goes awry. But this is changing. Patients thus can recover the cost of a light box within six months, and with fewer side effects. Thanks to the invention of the light bulb, we have been able to steal many more waking hours from the darkness.