"In conquering this illness, you first have to recognize that it is an illness and you have to take the problem seriously." — Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal

These days the hours of light are so dimmed and compressed that you wonder why the sun is conserving. The atmosphere has turned the heat down too and your only escape is to the artificial climate of the indoors. Coughing, sneezing, germ-breathing people surround you like buzzing insects, the furnace dries out your skin as your complexion approaches green under fluorescent lights.

There's a word for the way you're feeling: SAD. That's a way-too- convenient acronym for Seasonal Affective Disorder, the winter doldrums, the cold-weather blues. According to Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, Chief of Environmental Psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health, the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder include lethargy, fatigue, and despair. SAD tends to take a toll on personal relationships, can cause a frustrating indifference to schoolwork or job performance, and generally leads to overeating and weight gain.

And guess what? Trouble getting out of bed in the morning is a warning sign too. Oversleeping by as much as four hours is not uncommon. A loss of interest in sex also may be a clue that Seasonal Affective Disorder is having an effect.

Rosenthal first formulated his hypothesis concerning the condition after moving from his native South Africa to New York. He noticed that the tired, sluggish state of his first American winter remissed with the beginning of spring. SAD was first brought to light with the publication of Rosenthal's paper in 1984, which defined the condition. It was characterized as a "real illness" by the Journal of the American Medical Association. Over the last decade, interest in SAD has grown, and greater attention has been focused on the complicated factors which trigger it as well as on its treatment.

According to Rosenthal, one characteristic of SAD is a strong craving for foods rich in carbohydrates, which increase levels of the brain-calming neurotransmitter seratonin (found in foods like bread and pasta). SAD sufferers may have trouble regulating levels of seratonin during the winter.

Seratonin production is controlled by the hormone melatonin, according to an article on the Net site GaySource by Michael Franz. Melatonin is secreted in greater amounts during the dimly lit winter months, causing an increase in seratonin production and a feeling of depression for those susceptible to the effects of SAD.

Women in their teens up through adulthood seem to be most at risk of developing Seasonal Affective Disorder. Three or four times more women than men have been diagnosed with SAD. Women are most affected after puberty and before menopause, and Rosenthal attributes this factor to the sensitivity of female reproductive hormones to light.

So now that you know that your winter blues aren't just in your head, you'll be happy to know that your condition is not that uncommon. A few Trenton State College (New Jersey) students recognized the need for some light in their lives. "I get sick when the winter comes," Cynthia Banta, a sophomore English major, said. "That's a reflection of my demeanor and attitude. It's so dark and dismal and cold. Everybody's in a bad mood."

Banta's roommate, Veronica Wolf, a sophomore biology major, had her own hypothesis about the winter blues. "All the holidays are in the winter. It just compounds the loneliness and sadness people feel."

So are the rest of your winters destined to be a drag? Not necessarily. There are lots of ways to reduce the effects of seasonal sadness without moving to warmer latitudes. "Diagnosis is the key," Rosenthal advises. "In conquering this illness, you first have to recognize that it is an illness and you have to take the problem seriously."

"Hug everyone because it will make you smile and make them smile too." — Denise Graff

The most widely used treatment for SAD is light therapy. No, patients aren't strapped to a tanning salon table or left cooking for hours under a heat lamp. They are, however, recommended by their therapists to spend a prescribed length of time at home, watching TV, eating breakfast, whatever, in a room lit by a powerful and specifically designed light. According to Rosenthal, most of these professional light boxes are full-spectrum, non-ultraviolet fluorescent tubes. They can provide up to 20 times as much light as a regular indoor bulb while staying relatively cool.

According to a report by Raymond W. Lam, M.D., this kind of daily light therapy treatment as well as "dawn simulation," the gradually increased exposure to light during the morning hours, has been known to bring about positive results. The extent of the actual effects of light therapy vs. the placebo effect are not yet completely known.

Of course, light therapy is not the only remedy for winter depression. A walk outside, as Rosenthal suggests, or a window seat can also help to counter the negative effects of light deprivation. As Franz mentions in his article, "The Winter Blues," a balanced diet including protein and vitamin B (which works to combat depression) can fortify your body against a severe bout with SAD. Avoiding foods teeming with carbohydrates is also a good idea.

Regular exercise is a must. One reason for this is production of endorphins, the hormones in your body which produce a natural "high." Exercise also burns those extra carbohydrates and never fails to increase self-esteem (an indispensible weapon against the blues).

Denise Graff, a sophomore secondary education major and community advisor at Trenton State, had a few fun suggestions for lightening the darkness blues. "I dress up. A good appearance makes you feel better. Also, hug everyone because it will make you smile and make them smile too." For those who seem to develop that winter sweet-tooth, Graff advises, "Eat ice cream because it's a summer food." The key word here is "occasionally."

Especially for students cramped up in the campus environment, Graff said, "We live in a microcosm of the world. It can get claustrophobic. You just have to break free. Go as far off campus as you can. Change the atmosphere." And if you can't leave campus, at least open the vents. "Breathe some fresh air."

Well, you still might not be bouncing out of bed, the sun still isn't pouring in through your frozen window. But now that you know what's been oppressing your seasonally sensitive psyche, you can take a new angle on what Dickinson called that "certain slant of light."

And if you think your feelings of depression are more than you can handle on your own, open up to a school counselor or talk to a psychological health professional about testing the effects of light therapy on your mood. Just taking steps to feeling better will probably help to lift your sagging spirits.