The Paradox Why do I keep coming back? Because enlarging my spiritual life is a never-ending process. I came to OA on August 19, 2007, and have been abstinent from compulsive overeating and compulsive food behaviors since October 2, 2007. God has released me from 45–50 pounds (20–23 kg) of excess weight. I am grateful to God that I have never left … Read More
Never to Busy for Love My pets have always been important to me. I was socially awkward and an only child. Other than food, my closest relationships were with pets. My dog and cat were my best friends, my main sources of joy and comfort for many years. Early in my OA recovery, my pets gave me valuable insights into my eating behaviors. Although I … Read More
Bitter is Better I am a 62-year-old male, and since I came into program at the end of March 2015, my marriage has been restored and my family is mostly on good terms with me. My depression has lifted. I have excellent friendships inside and outside the Fellowship, and I feel a joy in daily living I had not felt for forty or … Read More
Partner in Recovery When I was coming out of relapse six months ago, I used a practice that had worked for me before: getting a Partner in Recovery. A “P in R” is a peer in the program who is available for a daily check-in. I had learned this technique in Portland, Oregon, but since then had moved to Austin, Texas. At my … Read More
Unity: An OA Love Poem I love the spirit within each of you. I love the endless kindness and understanding. I love the sharing of our lives together. Your struggle is my struggle. I feel your sorrows and joys, your strengths and weaknesses. It is the same with me; we share the same journey. —Rick E. (more…) Read More
I Am Home Isolation and hope stand out to me today, in part because of the Voices of Recovery reading on isolation and fellowship (p. 191) and in part because eight years ago today I surrendered my food to my Higher Power. Today I carry a message of hope as I enjoy a life vastly beyond my wildest dreams. One reason I come … Read More
Birthday Share As I celebrate my twentieth birthday of abstinent recovery in OA, I am filled with gratitude, joy, and hope. Prior to February 14, 1996, these incredible gifts were in short supply as I navigated through life, bingeing and depressed, depressed and bingeing. For decades, I expended endless amounts of energy keeping up appearances and maintaining my dirty little facade. I was … Read More
Stepping Up Attending World Service Business Conference as a delegate, I discovered how much responsibility is involved in shaping and maintaining the OA recovery framework from which we all benefit. Every policy and piece of literature goes through an extensive process that includes several layers of review and revision. Ordinary OA members participate in that development process, so our program’s resources are the … Read More
Rescue Work In my professional life, I am a medical doctor with a PhD. Don’t ask me how I managed—I don’t know how, considering all the emotional and spiritual difficulties I carried with 115 kg (254 lbs) on my body. Perhaps my profession was the only thing I thought I could be good at, so I worked a lot and published many … Read More
Healthy Resolution Every year since I was 13 years old, my New Year’s resolution had been to lose weight. It wasn’t until 2014, when I was 23, that I altered that New Year’s resolution to instead heal my relationship with food. After hitting bottom, bingeing every night on a wide variety of foods, my fear of change was overpowered by the pain … Read More