How OA Changed My Life Orderly Direction I couldn’t believe it. I found myself bottomed out with a binge eating disorder. Calling it BED for short is appropriate, since I often took food to bed with me. I was a binge-eater, a grazer, and a midnight muncher. I ate mindlessly, grazing; my meals had fuzzy beginnings and no clear end. It was my not-so-little secret that I … Read More
Service Principle Practice “We must remember that serenity and humility come with acceptance” (Voices of Recovery, p. 282). Sometimes I have to ask myself: What am I not accepting? The fear that I am not good enough? For whom? You? Them? Me? God? Nothing makes my life seem out of control faster than a B.I.N.G.E.—Believing I’m Not Good Enough. So I don’t even … Read More
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, enjoying a previously unknown level of serenity and relief from 35 pounds (16 kg) of exhausting weight. One thing that has helped me maintain this abstinence is service. When I was about three months abstinent, there came a day of … Read More
Slipping & Sliding Willingness to Work I was introduced to OA in 1987 following outpatient therapy for binge eating, overeating, and bulimia, so I was already armed with a food plan and an understanding of the First Step when I “jumpstarted” into the program. The miracle of abstinence led to a new spiritual life, and OA saved me from the insanity of my disease. I was … Read More
Higher Power What Hasn’t Changed? Spring of 2015 was the turning point. I had to get my fix of food no matter the cost. I maxed out my credit card, took from savings, ate in secrecy, and filled crevices of the house and car with my stash. I even ate frozen cauliflower. It struck me that I had a problem when I bought my first … Read More
How OA Changed My Life OA Found Me Prior to entering Overeaters Anonymous in September 2004, I was a 25-year-old woman who could not break free of the binge and starve merry-go-round. My troubled relationship with food began at an early age. During my early teens, my food restriction was progressive. I was already fearful of my capacity for eating enormous amounts of food. This culminated in a … Read More
How OA Changed My Life One Day at a Time After some years in another recovery program, I discovered I had substituted food for the alcohol I was no longer drinking. From childhood I had been using food for comfort and as a cushion against the discomforts of the world. I was a heavy child and lost weight just before entering high school. In my teen years I was distracted … Read More