Are you SAD?

Hello and Happy January! Some of you are saying "what the heck is so happy about January?" I know, January is cold, snowy, dark and not a lotta fun unless you are a skier, an ice hockey player or a penguin. It apparently is also a time for post holiday blues, colds and flu, and a general crankiness for some.  

I recently was reading Denis Leary's new book Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid (Quite a fun book, if you don't mind a bit of cursing. Okay, a lot of cursing). I could just picture him, cigarette in hand, typing away all exorcised about his current topic. Anyway, he was talking about Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

According to Wikipedia, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or, less frequently, in the summer, repeatedly, year after year. The US National Library of Medicine reports that "some people experience a serious mood change when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have little energy, and crave sweets and starchy foods. They may also feel depressed. Though symptoms can be severe, they usually clear up." We were wondering if maybe Fuego suffers from SAD, but then decided he was just cold. 

Denis Leary thinks this is all crap. He has another name for Seasonal Affective Disorder. He calls it Winter. This leads him into a discussion of how overly medicated Americans are today and a rant about Restless Leg Syndrome. There is a pill for anything and everything that ails you. Again, this book is not for those with more sensitive constitutions or those who value political correctness, but it is at times laugh out loud funny. If you are looking for a way out of "SAD" or just want to feel a little peppier, then the answer is no further than your back yard. That's right. Just get out and enjoy what little sunlight there is. Take a brisk walk or even a run. Walk your dog, or your neighbor's dog. With a little sunlight and some fresh air, you will be feeling better in no time. And then it will be spring! Maybe this Leary guy is on to something.