Seasonal affective disorder: Using light therapy
Why is light therapy used to treat SAD?
Most people with seasonal affective disorder become depressed in the fall and winter, when days are shorter and sunlight is limited. Although researchers are still studying the exact cause of SAD, some believe the body's 24-hour biological clock (circadian rhythms), which controls sleep/wake cycles, may be affected by seasonal changes of light and darkness and that subsequent biochemical changes in the brain may cause depression. Light therapy helps to "reset" your biological clock.
Light therapy, which has few side effects, is also an alternative to taking medications to treat depression. It can also be used with medications and counseling.
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Professional counseling, medication, or a combination of the two may still be needed even if you have light therapy.
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How is light therapy done?
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| Author: | Jeannette Curtis | Last Updated: August 22, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Alfred Lewy, MD, PhD - Neurology, Psychiatry | |
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