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holiday depression
For many, though, the holidays can
also be a time of inexplicable sadness, made
worse by the idea that they should be feel-
ing joyous. Overall, depression does go down
during the holiday months—according to the
CDC, the suicide rate is lowest in December,
debunking a common myth that suicides
increase during the holidays—but that is little
consolation for those among the 10% of the
population who suffer from holiday depres-
sion. The pervasive imagery of merriment
can in fact make it seem like he/she is the
only one who feels miserable, adding isola-
tion to the “holiday blues”mix. Fortunately,
many factors underlying wintertime depres-
sion are well-understood, and there are solid,
practical methods to help keep energy up
and moods bright during the darker days.
Wintertime depression has both physio-
logical and cognitive roots. One of the most
important physiological ones is light lev-
els. Shorter days in the winter lead to a type
of depression known as seasonal affective
disorder or SAD, characterized by hiberna-
tion-like symptoms such as low energy, over-
sleeping, and craving for high-carbohydrate
foods. While this is a much bigger problem in
northern states (and countries) where day-
light is severely curtailed in the winter, the
days still do get shorter in Louisiana, and this
can affect people who are sensitive to light
levels. An easy and relatively inexpensive
solution to this is light therapy.
Light therapy boxes emit high-lux light,
either white (with wavelengths mimicking
outdoor light but with most ultraviolet radi-
ation filtered out) or blue (at a wavelength
indicated by some research to be particularly
effective in treating SAD). Using a light box is
simple; one simply places the box on a desk-
top at about a 45° angle from the straight line
of vision—don’t stare directly into the light—
and allows the light to shine on the face for
about 15-30 minutes each day. During this
time, a person can do any activity that allows
him to stay in front of the light, such as read-
ing, writing, or doing e-mail.
Light therapy has some beneficial side-
effects as well. One is that it resets the sleep-
wake cycle, which can help with insomnia;