Melting The Winter Blues

The presents are unwrapped. Your pants are tighter. Your credit cards are maxed. The cheery Christmas music is gone. If it seems like the shorter, darker days of winter make the prospect of hitting the road that much bleaker after the holidays, it might be no coincidence.

Assuming you drive over-the-road, the long periods of isolation and separation from family and friends already put you more at risk for depression. If you drive mostly in the northern states or tend to drive at night and sleep during the day, you’re even more susceptible than the general public to the winter blues, or seasonal affective disorder.

SAD has been linked to the lack of bright light in the winter. It can affect brain chemistry, producing unbalanced levels of serotonin and melatonin, according to Winter Blues, by Dr. Norman Rosenthal, who first described SAD and pioneered the use of light as a remedy.

The primary treatment for SAD is therapy with extra-bright light boxes or lamps for a set time, such as 20 to 30 minutes per day. Light therapy has been effective in more than 80 percent of diagnosed cases, according to the National Organization for Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Light therapy units start at about $150. Some people have obtained health insurance reimbursement for light boxes.

Because the therapy involves light to the eyes, not the skin, you should talk with your ophthalmologist if you have an eye disease. Also, note that some antidepressant drugs may interact with the high dosage of light to the eyes.

Other than light therapy, consider these ways to counter SAD:

Before investing in light therapy equipment, or even concluding that you are one of an estimated 10 million Americans said to suffer from SAD, consult with your medical or mental health professional. A fuller understanding of your condition goes a long way toward coping with it.

SAD SIGNS
Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder typically start around September and can last through April. They include: