4 Common Depression Treatments for the Winter Blues

Depression treatments for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is generally the same as treatment for depression in general. However, light therapy is an added form of treatment that may help sufferers to feel the positive effect of more light in their day. Here’s an overview of the top depression treatments available.

1) Light Therapy

Light therapy is designed to give your body access to more light throughout the day. During the winter, many of us get a lot less sunlight due to shorter days and colder weather keeping us indoors. Using a desk lamp or light box for a certain amount of time can help to give the body the light it needs to maintain its natural rhythm.

Your doctor can recommend certain light therapy options, as well as the strength of light you might want to use, though light therapy boxes can also be purchased from the internet. If you have sensitive eyes, epilepsy, or are taking certain kinds of medication, then light therapy may not be suitable for you.

2) Antidepressants

Antidepressants are a kind of medication used to treat depression in general. In the case of seasonal depression treatments, they are usually only prescribed in severe cases. They work on specific hormones in the brain that are directly responsible for your mood.

There are pros and cons of taking antidepressants, and it’s important to speak it through with your doctor. You must take the medication as prescribed, or else you may see unpleasant symptoms, and some antidepressants do carry negative side effects. They can generally be taken for short periods, though may take a few weeks to get going.

3) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

This kind of treatment combines a number of techniques, but is based on the idea that the way you look at situations in your life is what can lead to you becoming unhappy. This therapy will teach you a number of different ways to change your thought patterns and start looking at life in a different way. This can either be done one on one or in a group setting, usually carried out through a number of different sessions.

4) Counseling

Counseling involves talking to a counselor about how you feel, and events in your past that may have lead you to feel unhappy today. They will talk you through the issues that are bothering you with the aim of helping you to see things clearly, or see new ways of dealing with problems.

As you can see, treatments for the winter blues are much like standard depression treatments. Note that one kind of treatment may work better for one person than another, so it’s important to speak with your doctor to work out the best course of action for you.