Posts by Neil Petersen

Scrolling through Tumblr recently, amidst the seemingly endless stream of Doctor Who fan art and cat memes, I saw a friend equate looking at corgi puppy photos with self care. This term, “self care,” seems to be a catch-all term for comforting activities, like whipping up a batch of cookie dough just to eat it…

Depression is the most common mental health issue in the US, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).  Statistics provided by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance illustrate the staggering impact of this disease: Major depressive disorder affects about 7% of the US population or 8 million American adults. Major depressive disorder is…

More and more of us in the Western world are sleep deprived.  And that doesn’t mean just tired.  According to WebMD, the average adult requires 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night for optimal rest.  And contrary to what some may think, the body doesn’t “adapt” to less sleep, but will experience symptoms of…

It is often assumed that child abuse falls on a spectrum, with physical or sexual abuse on one end and emotional or verbal abuse on the other.  And that the impact of physical abuse may be “worse” than the lesser, verbal abuse.  It turns out based on new research, this assumption may be wrong. SafeHorizon,…

Every 67 seconds someone in the US develops the disease, and an estimated 5.3 million Americans of all age groups currently have Alzheimer’s in 2015, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. More than likely we all know someone with the disease, or a family affected by its devastation.  These and other startling facts about Alzheimer’s from the…

Cell and smartphone use has become a staple of modern life.  According to the Pew Research Center,  nearly 2/3 of Americans are smartphone owners and those numbers continue to climb every day.  Recent polls in 2015 show smartphone usage includes: 64% of American adults now own a smartphone of some kind 85% of young adults…

Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the US, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.   And most of us have known a loved one, friend or acquaintance impacted by the disease.   But depression can still be misunderstood and misdiagnosed, or in some cases have no treatment sought at all.…

Who hasn’t been there….working on a long project for school or work logging more than 4 or 6 hours straight in front of the computer.  That’s a long time!  And it may not catch up with you until you hit the 8th hour, or you’re out of you’re 20’s, but eventually the aches, pains and…

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders affecting Americans, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, many with roots in childhood.  Anxiety disorders can range from post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and specific phobias to a generalized anxiety disorder.  While anxiety in and of itself is normal and an expected part of life,…