Traditions Tradition 7: Strive to Give I schlepped into my first OA meeting late and in dirty clothes, fearful of the people around me. I left early too. But I kep…
Fellowship Sharing from the Heart I vividly remember my first OA meeting, where people greeted me at the door, asked if I was new, and introduced me to others…
Ask-It Basket Ask-It Basket Q: Since sponsors are one of the strengths of our program, why is there not a Sponsor Appreciation Day? A: Sponsors give end…
Recovery Tackle with Dignity Some OA members suggested I bear witness to my experience of living with chronic renal failure and how the program is helpin…
Higher Power Direct Connection Having an eating disorder is a beautiful thing. It allows me to cherish and love every moment that I experience clarity, des…
Recovery Speaker’s Struggle I am coming up on thirty-two years of abstinence in OA, maintaining a 180-pound (82-kg) weight loss. Anyone in recovery will…
Recovery Making a Meeting After giving birth to my sixth child, I realized I was obese. I had always dieted away my postpartum fat, but this time I wa…
Recovery All Gone I’ve always been an angry person. When I was eight, I became enraged and pulled a soap dish out of the bathroom wall. In ado…
Recovery Cleaning House I haven’t read much about how overeating’s unmanageability is reflected in the disorganization in our homes. My eating compu…
Recovery Consequences and Magic I came into OA when I was 35, after realizing that I felt about food the way alcoholics feel about liquor. If I started eati…
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