Struggling With Seasonal Depression? A Light Therapy Box Could Help
Medically Reviewed By Whitney White, MS. CMHC, NCC., LPCIs it hard for you to imagine going through the entire year without experiences bouts of depression? Do you find that your struggle with anxiety and depression always come around the same time of year which just so happens to be the changing of the season? If so, you might be dealing with seasonal depression. The good news is, there are plenty of treatments available including the use of a light therapy box.
What Is Seasonal Depression?
Seasonal depression is also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This is when you experience a change in your mood that is impacted by the seasons changing. Most people refer to this as the "winter blues" or “winter depression” because they experience it towards the end of fall and throughout winter. However, there are also people that experience seasonal depression in the spring and summer instead of the winter.
Who Is Likely to Experience SAD?
While it can impact anyone, some people are more likely to be diagnosed with seasonal depression than others. This includes people that are older than 20 years old. However, as you continue to age your chance of experiencing SAD continues to decrease. Another risk factor of SAD is the location where you live. According to American Family Physician, you are seven times more likely to be diagnosed with seasonal depression living in the state of Washington compared to living in Florida.
What Causes Seasonal Depression?
There are a few factors that are believed to contribute to someone experiencing the symptoms of seasonal depression. Since the majority of people experience the symptoms in the fall and winter, it's believed that the shorter days make the impact. People are getting less sunlight due to shorter days. Many areas get more cloudy days in the fall and winter months. During the winter, many people that work full-time arrive at work when it's dark and doesn't get to leave until it's dark again for the night. That means they are missing out on the beneficial vitamins that they can get from natural sunlight.
Time spent outdoors, and natural sunlight are natural mood boosters. When you stop getting the same amount that you are used to it can hurt the chemicals in your brain thus leading to a higher chance of depression.
What Are the Symptoms of Seasonal Depression?
The symptoms of seasonal depression or SAD are the same as those of regular depression and range from feeling sad to weight gain. Just like depression, there are different degrees to which people experience it. Many will start to get mild symptoms during the fall, and then they will worsen as winter sets in. Once the seasons begin to change for spring and the daylight hours start to get longer, the symptoms start to fade.
Signs to watch for include:
- Increased levels of anxiety, especially unwarranted anxiety
- Constantly feeling stressed and unable to handle your regular tasks
- Increased irritability
- Feeling sad and crying more than usual
- Difficulty making decisions
- Feeling hopeless, worthless, or ashamed
- Increased desire to sleep or stay in bed
- Change in appetite, either eating too much or not enough
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Lack of pleasure from doing activities that you normally enjoy
- Weight loss or weight gain
If you are experiencing these symptoms, it's time to talk to a therapist.
What Are the Risks Of Seasonal Depression?
The risks associated with SAD are the same as that of any type of depression. The highest risk that comes with depression is the loss of life through suicide. Even if a person is only struggling with depression during certain times of the year, it can make them a higher risk for self-harm and struggling with suicidal thoughts. This is why it's so important to seek treatment if you feel that you are starting to struggle with depression.
SAD Light Therapy Box
One of the most popular forms of treatment for seasonal affective disorder is light therapy. These boxes go by several different names including bright light therapy boxes, phototherapy boxes, and simply light boxes. Even though they are called different names, they all do the same thing.
The purpose of light therapy boxes is to mimic the natural sunlight that you get outdoors. Since it's believed that natural light has an impact on your brain chemicals and mood, it's also believed that these light therapy boxes can do the same thing.
How To Use Light Therapy For Depression
Even though you can purchase a light therapy box on your own, it's highly recommended that you speak with a doctor or therapist before doing so. There are different types of boxes and different restrictions that may be recommended for your exact situation. That means if you just follow the directions that you find online or from the back of the box you could do damage to yourself.
Generic Guidelines for A Light Therapy Box
To give you an idea of how these devices are used we include some basic information. However, as we mentioned above, do not just follow these steps and guidelines without first talking to your doctor. These are included below just as an example, not as a personal recommendation for you.
Many people use the light first thing in the morning within an hour of waking up for about 20 to 30 minutes. When you are using the light, you should stand with your face between 16 inches and 24 inches away. You will keep your eyes open, but you will not stare directly at the light.
When choosing a box to buy the common recommendation is to get one that provides 10,000 lux light exposure while emitting the smallest amount of UV light possible.
What to Look for When Choosing A Light Therapy Box
The first considerations that you should make when considering light therapy boxes are the recommendations that came from your therapist or doctor. After that additional considerations could include:
- The purpose of the light - Some lights are designed for skin conditions and not for SAD. You want to make sure you purchase the right kind.
- Eye damage - Some lights come with special features that will help protect you from eye damage
- Design - There are many different types of styles and designs that you can choose from. This is strictly a personal preference, but something you'll want to consider as you select your therapy light.
- How bright the light box is - If you are choosing a brighter light it will generally need to be used for a shorter period.
- UV light - You want to find a box that filters out the most amount of UV light possible to protect your skin while you expose yourself to the light.
The side effects of using light boxes are generally mild but could include eyestrain, headache, nausea, irritability or agitation, and mania, euphoria, hyperactivity or agitation associated with bipolar disorder. If you live with bipolar disorder, your doctor may recommend light therapy as a way to manipulate your circadian rhythm. For those with bipolar disorder, bright light therapy may be more effective when combined with another treatment, such as therapy or medication.
What Other Treatments Are Available?
Light therapy boxes aren't the only form of treatment that helps with SAD. Many people find the best plan for treatment includes more than one form of therapy. Here are some other things to consider:
Psychotherapy
This is a form of talk therapy where a therapist will guide you through sessions. They can help you identify the source of your problems along with strategies and tactics that you can use to fight depression. There are forms of psychotherapy that will help you learn to identify your problem thoughts and beliefs and the impact that they have on your behavior. Then you will learn how to change these thoughts to improve your behaviors.
Medication
If you are struggling with depression, your therapist might recommend the use of prescription medication to help you get your chemical levels under control. This is often used along with other forms of treatment as well.
Self-Care
When struggling with depression, it's easy to want to withdraw from people and activities and close yourself up in your house. However, that's the exact opposite than what you should be doing. Instead, it's important that you take care of yourself. Open up your blinds and get whatever natural light you can even while you're inside. Make good choices with your eating, get in some exercise, and try to get the right amount of sleep.
When Do You Know It's Time to Seek Help?
If you are dealing with seasonal depression, don't wait to get help. You will notice that seasonal depression tends to come and go around the same time each year. Mark it on your calendar so you can pay extra attention to the way you are feeling. If you notice that your mood is starting to impact your daily life and behaviors, then it's time to seek help from a professional.
You can look for a local therapist in your area that is experienced with depression and seasonal depression. Or, you can look for an online therapist that provides treatment options for those struggling with depression. Make sure you find a therapist that you are comfortable with and that you have access to when needed. Depression should never be taken lightly, even if it's a seasonal depression that comes and goes with the seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Does light therapy work for seasonal depression?
Light therapy is generally used to treat people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and can also help treat other types of depression, sleep disorders and reduce jet lag. The treatment involves a light therapy box that replicates natural sunlight. This natural lighting is believed to cause a chemical change in the brain that lifts mood and offers relief from other symptoms of SAD.
- What type of light helps with seasonal depression?
Bright white light has been proven to help treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) symptoms and to also improve sleep disorders and reduce jet lag. The Skin Cancer Foundation warns against using tanning beds as a means to attempt to treat SAD symptoms.
- What vitamin should you take for seasonal depression?
Vitamin D is produced by the body after sunlight exposure and in the fall and winter months it is common for our vitamin D levels to drop. Your health care provider may therefore recommend you take a Vitamin D supplement to help ease seasonal depression. They may also suggest folic acid, which can help feelings of fatigue, or Vitamins B6 and B12.
- How long does it take for light therapy to work for depression?
The best way to know whether light therapy is working is to monitor your mood and mental health. Many patients respond to bright light treatment within 2-4 days, but each situation will be unique. Talk with your doctor if your symptoms are not improving or they are getting worse, or if you experience any of these side effects: eyestrain, headache, nausea, irritability or agitation or mania, euphoria, hyperactivity and agitation associated with bipolar disorder.
- Do SAD lamps give you vitamin D?
The Cleveland Clinic notes that light therapy lamps don’t impact vitamin D production. If you are looking to increase your vitamin D, instead look for supplements or changes to your diet, turning to vitamin-D rich foods such as salmon, trout and mushrooms.
- Can light boxes damage your eyes?
You might think that exposing yourself to light that replicates true sunlight could be harmful to your eyes, but if you follow certain precautions you can protect yourself. Harvard University notes that “good” light boxes include a cover to filter ultraviolet rays and researchers recommend positioning the box at an angle, so that the bright light reaches your eyes indirectly. Never look directly at the light box, which can lead to eye damage.
- Is blue light or white light better for SAD?
The Center for Environmental Therapeutics suggests light therapy boxes that emit a white light, but research shows that bulbs with a strong blue light wavelength may be most effective. Check with your health care provider before you buy a light box to ensure you’re choosing the type best suited to treat your symptoms.
- What color light is best for depression?
Bright white light has been successfully used to treat major depressive disorder, but researchers theorize whether light of other colors could offer similar results, perhaps in a shorter period of exposure time. University of California, San Diego researchers explored this idea in a 2005 study, focusing on bright green light therapy as a means to improve mood among group of individuals aged 59 to 80. Although no adverse reactions were observed, the study demonstrated that bright green light was not shown to have an antidepressant effect.
- How do I choose a SAD light?
Factors you may want to consider when deciding on the best light therapy lamp for you include light intensity, safety, cost and style. In general, the Center for Environmental Therapeutics suggests that the best lights have been tested in peer-reviewed, placebo-controlled clinical trials, provide 10,000 lux light illumination, include a diffusing screen that filters out ultraviolet rays, projects light downward to avoid glare, are at least 15” wide and 12” high and emit a white light or soft white light. The Mayo Clinic suggests that people with skin disorders or eye conditions should speak with their doctor prior to beginning treatment. And it’s important to maintain a dialogue with your health care provider if your symptoms are not improving or they are getting worse.
If you are interested in learning more about the results of light therapy clinical trials, visit the Mayo Clinic's website.
- What are the signs of lack of vitamin D?
Vitamin D plays an essential role in keeping our bodies healthy. We get vitamin D from sun exposure, the foods we eat and nutritional supplements. vitamin D deficiency is not always easy to detect, but there are some signs you can look out for. Common symptoms include fatigue, bone pain, muscle weakness, muscle aches, muscle cramps and changes in mood, like depression.
- Does vitamin D help with seasonal affective disorder?
Although low vitamin D levels have been found in people with SAD, research lacking as to whether vitamin D supplements can help relieve SAD symptoms, according to the National Institutes of Health and Human Services. Excessive vitamin D can be lethal, so always speak with your doctor before taking a supplement.
- Do vitamin D tablets help with SAD?
Little research exists as to whether taking vitamin D supplements can help relieve SAD symptoms. Talk with your doctor to determine whether adding a supplement is right for you, or whether you would benefit from a bright light therapy box for seasonal affective depression.
