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Ever have a bad day and not really know why? Maybe its part of my depression. Not sure. I do know it is very gray outside, almost like it is going to rain. I know when I lived in NY I had a very hard time with depression because it was rarely sunny or at least in the Winter time it was gray all the time.

WEBMD has a good artcle on SADD. Here is part of the story.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - Treatment Overview

Treatment for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) doesn’t cure the seasonal depression, but it can help relieve your symptoms. Light therapy is the main treatment for SAD, and research is continuing to determine the most effective way to use it. Medications and counseling are also used to treat SAD.

Light therapy

Research has shown that light therapy is an effective treatment for SAD.^{4, 5}

There are two types of light therapy: bright light treatment, in which you sit in front of a “light box” for a certain amount of time (usually in the morning); and dawn simulation, which is done while you sleep. For dawn simulation, a low-intensity light is timed to go on at a certain time in the morning before you wake up and gradually gets brighter.

Light boxes are available commercially and use fluorescent lights that are brighter than indoor lights but not as bright as sunlight. Ultraviolet light, full-spectrum light, tanning lamps, and heat lamps should not be used. You place the light box at a specified distance from you on a desk or in front of a chair and use it while you read, eat breakfast, or work at a computer. Light therapy is usually prescribed for 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the intensity of the light used.²

Some people find dawn simulation light therapy more convenient because it works as they sleep. Light box therapy, which some studies have shown to be most effective if done in the morning, may be less convenient for people who have busy schedules.⁶ Yet some studies have found that dawn simulation therapy is not as effective as bright light (light box) therapy.²

It may take as little as 3 to 5 days or up to 2 weeks before you respond to light therapy. Stopping light therapy will likely cause you to relapse back into depression.²

Light therapy may work by resetting your “biological clock” (circadian rhythms), which controls sleeping and waking.

If you have eye problems or you take medications that make you light-sensitive, ask your health professional about whether light therapy is safe for you. Tell your health professional about any conditions you have and medications you are taking before you start treatment.

Light therapy will need to be continued for the entire time you are depressed. People who discontinue treatment usually lapse back into depression.¹