Guest post by Abigail Strubel, MA, LCSW
Many people might feel a bit glum during the cold, dark winter months, but when that sadness deepens into actual depression, it is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).Symptoms
For those who suffer from SAD, the onset of daylight saving time can lead to lowered energy, sluggishness, irritability, moodiness, increased appetite and weight gain, difficulty concentrating and social withdrawal. SAD can even precipitate a full-blown episode of clinical depression.
Treatment
Fortunately, there is a very effective, non-invasive treatment for SAD: light box therapy. A light box stimulates your brain much as sunlight does, which appears to have a positive effect on mood. Like a medication, light box therapy comes in different “doses”—how many minutes it is used each day, what time of day it is used and how far from the box the user must be positioned.
Before you purchase a light therapy box, and to determine the appropriate dose, you should meet with a psychiatrist for an assessment. When using a light box, do not look directly into the light. Instead, look at something the light reflects off, such as a book or magazine page.
For an Appointment
To make an appointment with a Mount Sinai Health System psychiatrist so you can discuss the option of light box therapy with a skilled and compassionate clinician, call (866) 804-1007, Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm, or use our e-mail referral service.
For More Information
Websites*
• From the Mayo Clinic: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• From the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI): Seasonal Affective Disorder
• From the National Institutes of Health: Seasonal Affective Disorder
• The Center for Environmental Therapeutics is a nonprofit organization formed by doctors and researchers to provide accurate, unbiased information about bright light therapy. CET offers free online self-assessment questionnaires to guide diagnosis and treatment.
Books on SAD and Depression
• Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder
• The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs
• “6 Steps for Beating Depression” (book review)
* Mount Sinai Health System is not responsible for, does not endorse, and cannot assure the accuracy of information on these outside websites.