Do you or anyone you know suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder?

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Here is some information that could be very useful in regards to feeling down during the winter season as well as information about tanning beds and salons causing more harm than good. It also mentions how tanning beds cause skin cancer. It was in the news recently and was forwarded to me by someone that I work with from a different agency. I did not know this information til now. I would never use a tanning salon for any reason and now I know why. Tanning salons no answer for SAD, warns doctor Tuesday, January 2, 2007 | 9:48 AM PT CBC News Tanning salons are not the remedy for the winter depression known as SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, says a Vancouver skin cancer specialist. Some tanning businesses claim they can lift people out of the winter blues brought on by a lack of sunlight. But Dr. Jason Rivers of Vancouver's Skin Care Centre and the B.C. Cancer Agency said tanning beds put out the wrong length of light to do anything to boost mood. "The problem with tanning beds as it relates to Seasonal Affective Disorder, is that tanning beds put out the wrong rays of light to do any good," he said. "The wavelength that's necessary to reduce depression as it relates to the winter blues is visible light and intense visible light. Not only that, you have to actually look into the light source to have the effectiveness of the treatment." That isn't easy when people in tanning beds are wearing protective goggles, he said. Light affects the production of melatonin in the body, a hormone that helps regulate people's internal clocks, letting them know when to sleep or wake. It's thought that people with SAD produce too much melatonin because the dark disrupts their melatonin cycles. As many as 600,000 Canadians suffer from SAD. The symptoms include: . Low energy. . Feelings of sadness. . Poor concentration. . Listlessness. River also said growing research suggests tanning beds cause skin cancer. He said there are safe products that will help people who are affected by SAD including the Lite Book, which emits beneficial light rays. "It's considered to be safe, you're not getting an ultraviolet radiation and if you are, it's minimal and it's not going to have any bearing on your health."