Compare telehealth services for winter-pattern depression, from light therapy guidance to clinician-prescribed antidepressants.
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Look for services that distinguish a seasonal pattern from year-round depression, give specific light therapy guidance rather than a generic recommendation, and plan for treatment to start before symptoms peak.
Complete a screening covering symptom timing across seasons, have a licensed clinician review it, and start light therapy, medication, or both, with follow-up scheduled through the affected months.
Seasonal affective disorder is major depression with a seasonal pattern, most commonly beginning in autumn and remitting in spring. Typical features include low energy, oversleeping, carbohydrate craving and weight gain, which differ from the insomnia and appetite loss more common in non-seasonal depression.
Bright light therapy, antidepressant medication and cognitive behavioural therapy all have evidence behind them, and they are often combined. Treatment is frequently started before symptoms usually begin and continued until the season ends.
Light therapy uses a bright light box, typically used in the morning for a set duration each day, to shift circadian timing and improve mood. Intensity, distance and timing all affect whether it works, which is why clinician guidance matters more than the device alone.
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