When I tell people I maintain a website about light boxes, the response I often get is: What exactly is a light box?

In the simplest terms a light box is a type of light that uses a low-watt diffuse bulb to spread light throughout a small translucent box. They have several different uses.

Because most people get depressed from time to time, there is that eternal question if depression is a real illness. The answer is: yes. The clinical one, that is. It has been said that about one out of eight United States residents will likely become clinically depressed. Some experience it once in a lifetime, while others have multiple episodes. This is a fact: if a person gets depressed for the first time, there is a 50 percent chance that he will fall to the same predicament again. And come the second time, there is the threat that he will go into a third depressing episode.

Christmas can be a nightmare for people with bipolar disorder. As the philosopher Posidonius observed in the fourth century, Melancholy occurs in autumn whereas mania in summer. Here downunder in Australia, Christmas is summer time, party time, spending time, hurry time, family time. This is a potent mix of triggers and seasonal vulnerability and many of us do fall over with mania. Friends and family dont always recognise Christmas mania, because symptoms such as excessive drinking, lavish spending, staying up late at functions, and being in a hurry are features of the season.

Most of us feel depressed or "down" at sometime in our lives but, fortunately, it`s usually short lived. Some people, however, are unable to shake off their feeling of depression and are diagnosed as "Clinically Depressed". Many types of pills and drugs are prescribed but they often lead to addiction in addition to depression, thus creating a never ending downward spiral. Thousands, and possibly millions, of patients are convinced they`ll never recover which only adds to their sense of low-self esteem.

Being lonely is a normal part of our everyday lives. We get sad when we fail in our exams, when we're rejected by the person we love, or when someone very close to us passes away. Depression, however, could be more fatal than just plain loneliness. It could render life-long consequences that could ruin your self-esteem, health, and well-being.

Here are some superb tips to conquer the melancholy mood and get the most bliss out of your daily activities.

1) Get Enough Light and Sunshine.

Everyone has days when they are down, worn out and just not feeling all that happy.

That's OK, you need to have days like this, otherwise how would you know when you are happy. You need to have something to contrast your happiness with. What is black without white?

Even though you know that sadness is a part of life, let's try to make it a small part of life.

With that said, here are a few tips to help you feel better when you are feeling down in the dumps. They are easy to do, easy to practice every day and they work!

Family It can be very vexing to loved ones when you are depressed. On one hand they want nothing but the best for you, but on the other they sometimes get frustrated and wonder why you cant simply snap out of it. It can be particularly hard on children of someone with depression as it may affect their outlook on life for many years to come. Having experienced this myself, I can say definitely this the number one reason to fight your depression.

Tricyclic antidepressants is one of the more popular drugs used to fight depression in people today. Known as the first generation antidepressants because Tricyclic antidepressants were the first medications to come into use in the 1950's to treat depression. They are still one of the better drugs to treat not only depression but have been found to treat chronic pain also. None of the Tricyclic antidepressants have been approved by the government to be used for chronic pain; they are one of the basic treatments for pain even when no depression is involved.

Everyone can agree on the fact that depression is a debilitating disease. What we cant all seem to agree on however, is what this disease does to a persons ability to think reason and perceive. The problem in coming to an agreement here lies in the many causes and physical reactions to depression.

Do you know someone who is sometimes almost manic but at others seems depressed? Do their moods shift from a high to a low? If you do, then you might know someone who has what has been diagnosed as bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a serious illness that can affect ones relationships, careers and self. People with bipolar disorder swing between manic moods like exhibiting high energy, becoming very talkative, restless or reckless and becoming depressed exhibiting sadness, crying, lack of energy and sometimes sleep problems.