My name is Og and I am writing from Boston, USA. I got introduced to mindfulness in a very traditional way - after experiencing elevated anxiety, I went to my GP who then recommended me to a clinical psychologist. It did not take long for him to diagnose health anxiety and OCD and to recommend I start off with mindfulness exercises.
I started off by reading some Jon Kabat-Zinn's work and subscribing to the Calm app for a year. I was very committed for a while but would always inevitably forget and that would lead me to completely disregard the practice for weeks on end. After another routine visit to the GP, he recommended anti-depressants and I made myself a promise to really give this mindfulness thing a shot for at least three months before deciding to take meds. My wife had bought me the Finding Peace in Frantic World book and as a new year resolution I started the eight week program. I am only on day two but am hopeful to see it through.
I've been visiting this blog as a guest for a bit, but as a part of my larger commitment to mindfulness, I've decided to sign up fully and start posting. Have not been an active member of a message board since my high school days when I was a moderator on Serbian hip hop forums
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
Happy new year everyone, and wish me luck in this process.
Og