Ashley L. Peterson
Bio
Mental health blogger | Former MH nurse | Living with depression | Author of 4 books: A Brief History of Stigma, Managing the Depression Puzzle, Making Sense of Psychiatric Diagnosis, and Psych Meds Made Simple | Proud stigma warrior
Stories (56/0)
Naming Our Emotions
What are emotions and how do we describe them? Often it's not a subject we give much thought to. Even within the field of psychology there are various theories espoused by various researchers. Some emotions may be easy to recognize, like happiness, sadness, anger, and jealousy. Often, though, if you dig beneath the surface just a little bit, you can discover there are actually a lot of emotions going on in addition the obvious ones. Realizing this may make it easier to understand where those strong obvious emotions are coming from, which can then help us to better manage our emotions.
By Ashley L. Peterson5 years ago in Psyche
Does the Law of Attraction Actually Exist?
My uninformed impression of the law of attraction was that what you put out into the world is what you get back. On the surface this seems like it could be appealing, and support the notion that the world is a fair place.
By Ashley L. Peterson5 years ago in Motivation
Food as Therapy
There are countless diets purporting to help you lose weight, but what would happen if you were to approach eating from a health viewpoint rather than a weight loss viewpoint? I find the anti-inflammatory eating approach very interesting, because it's aimed at putting healthy things in the body to reduce levels of potentially harmful inflammation. It's sometimes called an anti-inflammatory diet, but I don't like the use of the term diet since that is so closely associated with attempts to lose weight.
By Ashley L. Peterson5 years ago in Longevity
Merry Blue Christmas
Are you spending Christmas alone? Hey, me too! We've all got our stories for why we might be having a blue Christmas alone, and chances are there are a lot of common themes amongst our stories. Here's mine, in the hopes of perhaps showing other people out there that they're not truly alone.
By Ashley L. Peterson5 years ago in Psyche
Aromatherapy for Mental Wellness
Aromatherapy uses essential oils from plants to provide a therapeutic effect in the body. They are a complementary treatment that can be used alongside other treatment approaches to promote wellbeing. Essential oils have been used throughout history, and in the first century A.D. their healing properties were described in a Greek text by Dioscorides.
By Ashley L. Peterson5 years ago in Longevity
The Trauma Hijack
We've all heard of the fight or flight response. What's not as well known is the freeze response that's also a potential automatic response to danger. This is particularly relevant in the #metoo era to help understand people's seemingly unusual reactions during traumatic events.
By Ashley L. Peterson5 years ago in Psyche
Understanding Narcissistic Abuse
The term narcissism comes from the story in Greek mythology of Narcissus, who fell in love and became obsessed with his own reflection in a pool. In modern usage, narcissist may refer to a personality trait or narcissistic personality disorder.
By Ashley L. Peterson5 years ago in Psyche
One Answer to Nationalism? Travelling
Although greater online connectivity has the potential to break down borders, we've been seeing a surge in nationalism and the desire to firm up borders. Whether we look at Brexit or those supporting Donald Trump's proposed border wall, on average those supporting nationalist positions tend to be less educated than those who take a more open approach to borders. It's not surprising that education opens minds, but there's something else that's likely to accomplish similar effects, and that's travelling.
By Ashley L. Peterson5 years ago in Wander
The Frightening Consequences of Childhood Trauma
It's no secret that abuse and neglect in childhood cause damage to the child. It's unsurprising that psychological harm could persist for many years. What is less known, though, is the profound connection between negative experiences in childhood and adverse health outcomes in adulthood. The Adverse Childhood Experiences was the first large study to shine a stark light on just how overwhelming this link was.
By Ashley L. Peterson5 years ago in Psyche
The Single Gal User's Manual
We live in a society where people are expected to be coupled. There's a growing acceptance that the heterosexual married couple with kids isn't the only form that couplehood can take, but there are still people who will think that something's not right if you're single.
By Ashley L. Peterson5 years ago in Humans
Learning to Name Workplace Bullying
While it was happening, I didn't know there was a name for it. Things had gotten unbearable at work. I was flying apart at the seams, and I felt like I was losing my mind. Desperate to make it end, I quit my job, not even considering that things could get even worse after that. I had no idea that driving me out of the workplace enough; destroying my career was the end goal.
By Ashley L. Peterson5 years ago in Journal