Shining A Light On Phototherapy

The sky was gray, with a hint of sleet, on the spring morning I graduated from college in 1995. That gloominess was a hallmark of my time in Rochester, NY, a place where the sun made only brief guest appearances during the school year. On those rare days, the students would emerge like T-shirted butterflies from goose-down larva, shucking their hats and gloves and coats and scowls in favor of shorts and smiles, even if it was only 49 degrees out.

Only later, when I had the opportunity to live in sunnier climates, did I realize the toll those temperatures were likely taking on my psyche. I wasn’t just cold. I was depressed—and likely grappling with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a mood condition experienced by an estimated 5% of Americans every year.

If only I’d known about phototherapy, a treatment for SAD that first emerged in the 1980s and has become exceedingly popular in recent years. Here’s how the therapy works: You place a special light-therapy lamp about 12 inches from your face for about 30 minutes (you can do other things while in a session; just don’t stare straight into the light). Experts say you’ll want to find a lamp with a fairly large surface area that emits at least 10,000 lux of white light.

To its credit, studies have shown that light therapy can be effective, particularly when administered daily over several weeks—though some people report a small improvement in mood as soon as the first hour of treatment.

Experts share a few tips and warnings: Look for a lamp with UV protection (a tanning bed is not a phototherapy lamp); don’t use this form of therapy if you have bipolar disorder, as the light can trigger a manic episode; and consider conducting your session first thing in the morning in order to achieve the best results.

Recently, during a particularly overcast day, I felt the familiar weight of depression begin to push down on my shoulders, so I decided to reach out to a friend who owned a phototherapy lamp and give it a try.

The light was a thick, white rectangle, about 13 inches by 7 inches by 3 inches, and looked like a vanity mirror (without the mirror). When I turned it on I was startled by just how bright the 10,000 lux appeared (for reference, direct sunlight is about 32,000 or more).

I set a timer for 30 minutes, then kept the light in my peripheral vision as I tapped on my laptop, drank coffee, and talked to my friend while petting his gigantic, slobbering dog.

The UV-protected lamp didn’t emit heat, but I did feel the sort of warming, happier feeling I often experience when I tip my face into the sun. I closed my eyes and imagined I was at the beach, the dog-drool on my foot a lapping wave.

Was I imagining the small waves of serotonin I felt, too? That’s difficult to say. But ultimately it didn’t really matter whether I was experiencing a placebo effect from the light. As I walked out of my friend’s house, pulling up my hood to protect against the rain spitting from the gray sky, I felt better than when I’d first walked in. And I put a phototherapy light on my wish list.

• Sad during the winter? There’s a reason for that.
• How exercise can improve your mental health.
• 5 things I wish you knew about depression.