Winter Depression
Winter depression has a more fitting name: SAD. Seasonal affective disorder that is. It’s a type of depression related to the changing of seasons. Any season can cause it but it’s the cold sunlessness that spikes mine.
I live in North Dakota. It’s been cold here since late October. We’ve been dealing with streaks of sub-zero temperatures and several feet of snow. 40mph wind gusts create ground blizzards and winter weather advisories. The roads are slick with ice and the snow banks are so high that you can’t see oncoming traffic. My car has died three times this winter. And I can’t honestly blame it.
My winter depression creeps on slowly, like subtle weight gain. It’s under control until it’s not. I wear it like a heavy coat.
Because depression doesn’t always present as devastating sadness. It’s the slow disinterest in not only the things you love, but in life. Responsibilities and obligations matter just a little less. And then they don’t matter at all. You let yourself fall into a cycle of procrastination. You ignore things that once had your full attention. You find that it’s easier to sit at home than acknowledge the world around you.
It’s also easier to sit at home when the world around you feels like -40 degrees Fahrenheit. The scenery in Fargo is often bleak and lifeless. It doesn’t inspire or create hope. The cold makes me dread…
