Abstinence Should I Quit? I had many years of Twelve Step recovery from an addiction unrelated to food, and I thought adding OA would be a snap. I joi…
Abstinence What I Needed When I started OA in August 2015, I thought many things about the program seemed unnecessary or ought to be changed. Some of…
Anorexia & Bulimia Feeling Raw 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 we…
Service Acting Out Nine years ago, I crawled into the rooms of OA, wishing I could die so I could be free of the hell of this disease. I heard …
Recovery Relationships Life’s Terms Taking life on life’s terms is one of the most important ideas that OA has given me—it’s such a meaningful concept. My spons…
Relapse Slipping & Sliding Lifeboat How to live life on life’s terms was the most important lesson I learned during my deployment in 2015. I’m a member of the U…
Higher Power Working It Hi. My name is Laurie and I’m an overeater. I’ve found I can handle life on life’s terms much better when I work with the To…
Diversity Newcomers Titanic Transformation “I hate meetings!” I exclaimed when it was my turn to share. “But I know I need to be held accountable, and I think OA is wh…
Service Saved by Speaking Tonight, I gratefully received a one-year medallion for abstinence. One year ago, I wouldn’t have thought I would be here, e…
Higher Power Asked and Answered Seven and a half years ago, I was lying in bed with my abdomen pressing down on my diaphragm and a CPAP mask over my face, a…
How OA Changed My Life Recovery True Freedom When a fellow OA member suggested I reflect on what true freedom looks like for me, I discovered I could probably write a book. Before OA, I truly felt I already had it in the form of a solid career, … Read More
Higher Power Spirituality Stepping-Stones, Nuggets, and Gems Spirituality is the solution to our problem of powerlessness, and we find this solution in the Twelve Step program of recovery. I’ve experienced three stepping-stones in this process: Amen, Amends, Am… Read More
The Road Narrows My twenty-ninth birthday in OA is approaching, and it is cause for renewed reflection about my program. I spoke to my sponsor a week ago and mentioned to her that I was thinking of not taking a candle this year. Other OA members on their birthdays pitch about life changes: weddings, kids, jobs, financial gain, or acquisition of cars. I … Read More
Share It: Powerful Shares, Joyful Reading, Pages and Prayers Powerful Shares I wanted to share how sad I am to hear about the discontinuation of Lifeline. It has literally been a lifeline to me. I am one of the ones who answered your 2018 subscription appeal, and I recently renewed my subscription and will cherish every last issue. Thank you for the articles about “The Joys of Retreats and … Read More
Recovery Beyond Measure In a few days, I will celebrate thirty-eight years of recovery in OA. Today my goal is health, sanity, and wellness, not a size 8. Physically, my body has been a normal size for many years. G-d has removed the compulsion for what I call “the hard stuff”—the stuff you see at the grocery checkout counter. I have reached a … Read More