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Winter is in full swing in Washington, and with it comes the perennial threat of seasonal affective disorder. SAD, whose symptoms include depression, low energy, overeating, and oversleeping, strikes millions each winter. Concern for the mental health of her fellow residents led The List to the streets, where an unusually high number of people avoided eye contact and made surly responses when she approached—a sure sign that depression is falling like a heavy curtain over the metro area. Most of the sad souls who were willing to speak to The List confirmed that they are indeed in the throes of some sort of battle with seasonal affective disorder. They gave The List the lowdown on how they’re coping.

1. Only dancing can cure one woman’s seasonal depression

   “But that’s hard to do in the winter,” Lyana says. “You have to put on layers. And that’s stupid. Takes too much effort.”

2. Woman fights psychological duress with physical layers

   Liz says she struggles with motion during the winter. “I’d rather just be indoors and not move at all,” she says. She combats her sadness with layers. “Like, just put on so many layers of clothes,” she suggests. “Boots.”

3. Michigan native and retiree refuses to give in to winter blues

   Though Jim Kimmel admits he gets “mad at the weather when it snows me in,” he won’t succumb to depression. “I’ve lived too long to worry about it,” he says. Kimmel’s suggestion for breaking out of the SAD box: nothing fancier than an old-fashioned treadmill.

4. Local student victim of SAD’s lesser-known symptoms

   Maurice Thornton says he doesn’t feel sad in the winter and actually enjoys the longer dark hours, but he has been oversleeping, sitting in the house frequently, and eating. He treats his SAD symptoms with plenty of working out and going to “hang out with people I haven’t seen in a while.”

5. Lyana won’t feel right again until she can wear dresses

   And don’t bother suggesting that she try and trick her mind by pairing a dress with tights and boots. “It doesn’t work,” she snaps.

6. Local student finds his sleep patterns disrupted

   “A person like me, I’m happy in the summer,” says Charles Banks. “I get more depressed in the winter.” Adding to his seasonal troubles: sleep issues. “I’ve been waking up at 12:30 p.m.,” he says. “Usually I wake up at 10:30 a.m.”

7. Man gearing up for February, when his seasonal depression sets in

   John says his mood at present is OK, but he anticipates a rocky February. He has plans in place for when a sad mood hits: “Leave the house, walk around, take the train and stuff. Take the bus.” No comment on whether taking Metro bus or rail was more likely to increase his bad mood.

8. Local woman fights SAD with hope

   Cathy, who experiences depression in winter “every now and then,” says it can be beat with activity. “Anything that keeps the mind engaged,” she recommends. “If you get out in the world with all the open spaces and all the possibilities, you have a good chance of combating it.”