We’ve been away from Syracuse for about a month now, and I can already tell we’re feeling a lot of emotions. You may be asking yourself questions like: “What am I doing with my life?” “How am I going to pay off my debt?” “Is it OK to get drunk at a family dinner?”

You’re going through withdrawal.

I’m a self-proclaimed doctor. I know the signs and symptoms and can give a proper diagnosis. Whether you’ve gone through Orange withdrawal before or not, it’s important that you recognize the symptoms, so you can get the right treatment. Here are the four most common symptoms of withdrawal from Cuse:

1. Decreased grogginess

Now that you’ve been away from Syracuse for a bit, you may be feeling less groggy and more alert than usual without all of the parties and assignments and early classes. You also might begin to notice things that you haven’t before, like the color of the sky or the tastes of food.

If you are experiencing something like this, don’t be alarmed, because it’s totally normal. It’s just that now you’re getting a normal amount of sleep — maybe even seven hours a night — your body is more awake than usual. Don’t worry though: In just a few short months, you’ll be back to your normal-half-dead-self back at school.

2. Increase in bank funds

Go on, check your bank account. Do it. Chances are, you might have a little more than $5 to spare. Weird, right?

This is common among students who go home for the summer. Perhaps it’s because you have a job. Maybe you’re just not buying as much late-night food. Either way, you’re making bank.

But fear not: When you get back to Syracuse, chances are you’ll blow most of that money away within the first week.

3. Increase in “doing nothing”

This one sneaks up on you, especially if you’re not working a summer job. You’ll check your calendar to see that it’s Wednesday. But, you think, there’s no way it could be the middle of the week, because where’s your usual Wednesday stress?

Doctors call this one “relaxation.” You don’t really have any worries since you don’t have anything to do. Some doctors think this is a positive feeling, but they don’t know what they’re talking about. Me, a doctor, says that this feeling isn’t good and that you should probably start getting stressed about the first week of school now.

4. Sobriety

On a Friday or Saturday night when you’re watching TV by yourself, you may feel a little different. Your vision is totally clear. You can walk in perfectly straight lines. And when you talk, you can understand every single word you’re saying.

The next morning will be even more confusing when you don’t have a pounding headache or the need to chug water. As it turns out, this just means that you’re sober. Weird, right?

Treatment

There is one way to treat Orange withdrawal, and luckily, it’s an easy one: Return to school. Or if you just graduated, go cry or something, I guess?

Annabeth Grace Mann is a sophomore film major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at agmann@syr.edu.

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Published on June 22, 2018 at 7:16 pm