Light box therapy is one method of addressing seasonal affective disorder at home.

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METRO DETROIT — With fall’s arrival and winter’s approach, shorter days paired with colder weather can do a number on people’s mental health.

Seasonal affective disorder is a sub-type of depression that is influenced by seasonal patterns, typically occurring in relation to the winter months. While research surrounding SAD has not been able to find a definitive cause for why it occurs, it nevertheless has been found in “millions” of people, according to Oakland University psychologist David Schwartz.

“Most of the thinking in a lot of the research seems to point to that when the days get shorter and we have less sunlight, that those affect things like the hormones in our body, as well as

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