SAD Seasons

As you all know, we had our first snow fall of the year just last week.  While I love snow, I'm still adjusting to this early-snow business.  For the past 3 Octobers, we have consistently had our first snowfall before Halloween, something that is pretty uncommon for Nebraska.  Usually, our first inkling of snow was not until mid-way through November, if not later.  Now of course, we've had exceptions,  like the year it snowed so much they actually postponed Halloween.  But for the purpose of this post, just assume it waits until AFTER Halloween to snow.

my pup, Sophie, enjoying our first snowfall!

When we first moved here, my aunt warned us about the long, dreary winters.  I wasn't really worried.  Nebraska had snow, it was cold; I figured I could handle it.  That was until our first winter lasted from October to March.  Considering that is 6 months (or HALF a year), I was sort of depressed.  On top of that, there's hardly any sunshine during the winters here (special thanks to that lovely thing called inversion).  While it got cold and blustery in Omaha, the skies were usually blue with hints of sunshine each day.  

The hardest adjustment to winters in Logan?  Increased occurrence of S.A.D.  Known as "Seasonal Affective Disorder," this is an area of depression that often surfaces around the winter months, when we don't get as much sunlight.  This is often a temporary 'down' that can be maintained with antidepressants and fake UV-interactions.  I was actually told that tanning (for short periods of time - NOT to get tan) can lead to increased serotonin levels, making you feel happier.  Perhaps it was because it was my first winter away from home, or that I was stuck inside all day with no job and no school, but the first winter here hit me hard.  Having already been diagnosed in my earlier teenage years with situational depression, the added lack of sunshine greatly diminished my serotonin levels, thus making me feel awful.  With short tanning bed visits and an adjustment of my medication, I was able to make it through the winter without feeling completely dead and hopeless.

This being our third winter in Logan, I have adjusted to the added stress of the inversion.  While it was not something I dealt with at home, I've been able to maintain my positive attitude and smiling face much easier, after learning I wasn't the only one who was sad from S.A.D.