Treatment for SAD usually includes light therapy, antidepressants and psychotherapy. Light therapy means increasing the amount of natural light. It is to reduce the production of melatonin, which is the cause of SAD. Antidepressants and psychotherapy help patients deal with depression, lethargy, anxiety and overeating.

Taking antidepressants, patients can feel improvement in one to three weeks of the beginning of treatment. However it usually takes up to two months to get fully effect. The antidepressants which most commonly used to treat SAD include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac or Paxil. Others, like Norpramin or Wellbutrin, are also used, although the chemical reactions they create are different from those of Prozac. Unlike Prozac and Paxil, these can also cause more side effects. That is why it is better to choose Prozac or Paxil. Antidepressant medications are usually started at lower dosages and then slowly increased, and when stopped. This scheme is followed to avoid side effects.

General side effects of antidepressants can be loss of appetite, diarrhea, nausea, anxiety, drowsiness, headaches, or difficulty sleeping. So you should be careful and take antidepressant therapy discipline.