How OA Changed My Life Recovery Life Transformed OA not only changed my life but this recovery program also gave me a life worth living. Before I became abstinent from sugar, compulsive overeating, and compulsive food behaviors, I lived a life in food, using it constantly to manage and escape feelings and stress. I’d never want to go back to the way it was before I found OA, and … Read More
Higher Power Shift Change “Our path in OA transcends weight loss and a return to emotional health.” — Seeking the Spiritual Path A change of attitude toward a Higher Power and a few simple actions were vital in changing my life. Whether I liked it or not, it was having faith in a Power greater than myself and developing that spiritual relationship that saved … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Recovery Peaceful and Active I am 91 years old and enjoying a fairly active, peaceful life because of OA. I joined OA at the age of 51, after struggling with my weight since childhood. I’d always dieted but immediately regained the weight. I was a degreed registered nurse who knew a lot about food and diets, but that didn’t help. Since childhood, I had … Read More
Anorexia & Bulimia Most of All, Hope I grew up as an only child with alcoholic overeaters for parents. For the first seventeen years of my life, I dealt with two drunken “rageaholics” acting crazy. I never knew what would happen. I walked around in sheer panic and terror, afraid my parents would divorce, afraid Mom would drink herself to death, afraid Dad would kill someone on … Read More
Recovery Relationships New Options Before I found OA, food was my answer to everything and anything. If I had a problem, I would eat. Uncomfortable feelings meant more food. After spending time in OA, I came to believe and accept that food is an ineffective means of coping. Using food to cope is no longer an option for me. Now, I eat to live, … Read More
Steps Traditions To Ask Humility has been a challenge for me. In the past, I think my focus was on feeling humble; I would try ways to make myself feel humble. I would change my facial expression, body language, and words to control myself into feeling humble. Maybe I was trying to control others, so that they would see me as humble. I’ve had … Read More
Steps Traditions Saying the Words Step Ten: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. Most days, I take personal inventory at the end of the day. It helps me sleep. I inventory fears, resentments, and stressful thoughts and beliefs. Wrongs seem to stem from those. I also list gratitudes, but not the things I think I should be grateful for. … Read More
Atheists & Agnostics Higher Power HP Did for Me I was 19 and had been in OA for six months and abstinent throughout that period. I’d learned about a Higher Power but hadn’t felt the presence of one. I certainly didn’t believe it might be real for me. I accepted that it worked for other people, and I believed that they believed. But I was still willing and able … Read More
Anorexia & Bulimia Diversity From Loathing to Liking What is healthy self-esteem? It is self-confidence and self-respect; serenity; speaking up for myself; treating myself as well as I treat others; having faith; being present for life; taking risks; trusting myself and others; being honest; pursuing dreams; being my own best friend; making decisions that are love based, not fear-based; liking my body and treating it with love. Have … Read More
Service Tools & Concepts Give It Some G-A-S When I came into OA in 1983, I was taught early on about the G-A-S that makes the program run: Gratitude, Abstinence, and Service. I started my service by giving rides to meetings, arranging for my two daughters to babysit so young mothers could get to meetings, and making at least three phone calls every day. I set up the … Read More