Hi,

I just wanted to share my experience and introduce myself to the community…

I suffered from chronic anxiety and depression for the most part of my life, now I just have chronic pain, which is a little better… I’m a somewhat experienced meditator (I think) and learned a lot on happiness, how to handle emotions and live a healthier lifestyle. I love to talk about psychology, meditation, diet, complain about my problems and hear others complain about theirs. : )

Things that have helped met get over chronic anxiety and depression are:

1) The ABC method – Challenging your automatic thoughts and perceptions and replacing them with healthier, more positive ones (www.anxiety.org/abcs-of-anxiety)
2) Meditation (I like to practice mindfulness, the body-scan, yoga and the complete breath) (free online class: www.futurelearn.com/courses/mindfulness-wellbeing-performance)
3) A whole food diet (www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episodes/it-takes-guts // For recipes: www.straightupfood.com/blog/)
4) 7cups.com – When you need someone to talk to and can’t afford a therapist
5) psychologytoday.com – I like to look up topics I’m struggling with in my life, the articles are usually short and easy to read. They help me understand human nature a little better, which helps me accept life and people as they are and be more understanding, compassionate and less judgmental…
6) mindhabits.com – To train yourself to think more positively
7) Acupuncture (I was suspicious of it when I started, but I was also desperate… It might not work for everything but it’s been very helpful in dealing with chronic health problems, albeit expensive)

If anyone is interested in learning more about meditation and eating a healthy diet I’m happy to help! I don’t have all the answers but consider myself somewhat knowledgeable since I’ve been through those transitions myself.

Good luck! 🙂