Dear Mr. Merriam, dear Mr. Webster, I write to you as a humble requester. I propose a new spelling of a certain word; The change would be seen but would not be heard. The word in question is now spelled “serenity.” I suggest changing it instead to “surrenity.” If one “surrenders” using “humility,” One can achieve a sense of tranquility: …

I’m a compulsive eater, compulsive exerciser, and bulimic who literally runs along the fine lines between healthy eating and exercise and compulsive behavior. I have been in recovery for five years, but sometimes my own mind still trips me up. Today I went on a run in the hot sun, got nauseated on the way back, and vomited in the yard …

My anorexia started innocently enough as a diet to attract a boy. Then I hit puberty and developed, and the molestation started at home. My twelve-year-old self reasoned that if I went back to my undeveloped body, the abuse would stop. So my diet became a war against my body. By college, I was bulimic and purged everything I ate. …

When I came into OA, I weighed 43 kilos (95 lbs). I was consuming huge amounts of food, and I was terrified of putting on weight. My life revolved around bingeing and being thin, and I had a system. I binged on any junk food I wanted for one day, then I binged on vegetables and fruit for four or …