Treatment of Seasonal affective disorder

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Research has shown that light therapy can be an effective treatment for SAD. It involves daily exposure to bright light, for periods between 1 and 4 hours. A specially designed light box is used to produce light that is similar to daylight, and much stronger than the light from a normal light bulb. It needs to be set at a strength of at least 2500 lux to be effective. Lux is a measure of the intensity or brightness of light, and a normal light bulb is around 200-500 lux, so a light box is much brighter.

Light treatment should be used daily in winter starting when the first symptoms appear. Symptoms usually improve within a few days of starting the treatment and this continues if the light box is used daily.

Light box treatment is usually carried out in outpatient clinics in your local hospital. Light boxes to use at home can be bought privately, but they are not available on the NHS.

Anti-depressant drugs are sometimes diagnosed to help treat SAD. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) seem to be the most effective in easing the depressive symptoms of SAD, especially in combination with light therapy.

Talking therapies such as psychotherapy, counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may also help some people to cope with SAD.

Complementary therapies that have a relaxing effect, such as massage and acupuncture, may also be helpful.

The herbal remedy St Johnâ€™s Wort is thought to be helpful in relieving some of the symptoms of SAD but you should always consult your GP or pharmacist before taking it, as it can interfere with other drugs such as the contraceptive pill.

Self-help measures for SAD include:

During the day, spend as much time as possible outdoors. Even a quick lunchtime walk can be beneficial.
Take regular exercise, particularly outdoors in daylight if possible.
Plan ahead so that you donâ€™t have lots of things to do during the winter. Leave any major projects until spring or summer.
Try decorating your home in light colours and spend plenty of time near windows, to make the most of natural light.
Going on holidays to somewhere sunny during the winter months can help, but you may feel worse when you come home and it is still cold and dark.
Talk to your friends and relatives, so that they understand why you feel down and irritable during the winter, and this will help them to support you.