Now is the winter of our discontent.
With another foot of snow on the ground and more on the way, it's not surprising that many of us feel our good moods have been frozen solid since the holidays.
While Charlottesville's winter wonderland holds a certain fascination for me as a native Floridian, I can see how the novelty might have worn off long ago for everyone else.
Despite the fact that I haven't been warm in two months, I'm more concerned with the other effects that winter brings on its back.
I'm talking about Seasonal Affective Disorder, which psychologists aptly refer to as S.A.D. While these medical terms may sound more like a sinus infection than a psychological condition, you are probably more familiar with S.A.D. than you think.
"Seasonal Affective Disorder" is simply a doctor's way of describing what we commonly refer to as The Winter Blahs -- those bad moods and down-times that plague us during the coldest months of the year.
Once the Christmas tree comes down and New Year's champagne bottles make their way to the recycling bin, the ambiance of snow and cold weather begins to dwindle.
The short days and the long, dark nights start to take their toll on our ability to keep on smiling.
Let's be honest: The truth is, we can hardly get out of bed on those winter mornings, let alone force ourselves to be of good cheer.
When my alarm goes off, I burrow deeper under the covers and hope that if I hit the snooze button continually, life will just leave me be.
This tactic, of course, never has beeneffective, and I eventually throw back the covers in defeat.
Not exactly the kind of winter mornings you see on those Folgers commercials. No one comes silently into my room with a steaming cup of coffee and pancakes made from scratch.
Instead, I pop two frozen Ego waffles in the toaster and curse the weatherman. The forecast is calling for snow again, and I'm still scraping ice off my boots from yesterday.
And so the Seasonal Affective Disorder begins.
For some people, the Winter Blahs are merely a matter of appearance. The highlights you received at the salon over Winter Break are slowly giving way to telltale dark roots. The adorable sweater you got for Christmas is barely visible beneath a layer of fleece (for warmth) and your North Face jacket (to keep you dry in the freezing rain.)
A quick look in the mirror only reveals pale skin and dark circles under the eyes, not to mention the extra bulge that my friend Kristin refers to as"Winter Weight."
Spring break still seems light-years away, and the prospect of ever having a tan again is about as likely as a win over Duke in Cameron.
Or at U-Hall.
While all of these conditions certainly contribute to the Winter Blahs, doctors believe that the causes, and symptoms, run deeper.
In the dark winter months, there's not enough light for our bodies to make and release certain chemicals that are responsible for keeping us in good spirits.
We're more inclined to stay inside than to be social, and nothing sounds like fun. Even the smallest flaw or roadblock in our day seems like it's too much to handle.
This may explain why you were overly distraught last week to find that the Pav was out of the 8-piece Chick Fil-A nuggets.
That wasn't just a craving for chicken, folks -- it was your Seasonal Affective Disorder kicking in.
You may find, as I have, that your friends don't seem to laugh as often and that everyone seems to be grumbling about something under their breath.
I'm not the only one who notices all these S.A.D. faces: Adam Duritz and the Counting Crows wrote a song about it.
Think of the Crows' "Long December" as an anthem for everyone battling the Winter Blahs. If you find that the winter does indeed "make you laugh a little slower," then you know Duritz's song has struck a cord with you.
Sorry, you didn't think I'd get through the entire column without a single bad pun, did you?
Even if you're not a Counting Crows fan, you still can find support and relief for the Winter Blahs.
The S.A.D. Association, a British organization, has a Web site at www.sada.org that has information on everything from S.A.D. symptoms to treatments.
And given that it's dark and rainy about 11 months out of the year in London, I'm inclined to trust these people.
My personal favorite is the description on light treatments: daily exposure to very bright light, at least 10 times the intensity of ordinary domestic lighting. This extra wattage will help your body produce those essential feel-good chemicals in your brain.
And let's not leave it at that.
Any clever student will realize that light treatments have enormous potential.
You just up the wattage on those treatments, and your skin will be ready for that Cancun sun in no time.
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