Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

While we are enjoying an unprecedented long and gorgeous fall in Colorado, snow is right around the corner and the days are getting darker and shorter. It seemed like the entire city of Denver was in a bad mood a few weeks back on November 1st. That cold gray day after Halloween shocked us into the holiday season.

People with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and those who notice negative seasonal mood shifts might want to plan ahead for the long winter by ordering a light box. Light therapy or phototherapy is an old method for treating seasonal depression invented by Niels Ryberg Finsen who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology. The light from the light box affects our circadian rhythms that set our sleep-wake cycle. It also influences our neurotransmitters, most notably serotonin, which is involved in regulating mood. Phototherapy can be safely and cheaply used for jet lag, sleep issues and nonseasonal depression (unless you have bipolar disorder).

The light box must be at least 10,000 LUX and can be used first thing in the morning. Using it daily first thing in the morning for 15-30 minutes at a distance of 12-24 inches from the face while working, drinking coffee or reading works well. As always, check with your medical doctor if you have health issues before starting any new treatment.