Recovery Working the Program Abstinent Past My Expiration Date I am a compulsive overeater. Before coming to OA, I tried many diets and weight-loss programs. I always lost the 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 pounds but promptly gained it all back and then some. After losing my three-year-old daughter, I wasn’t able to diet and lose weight anymore. When I finally came to OA in 1973, I came … Read More
Abstinence Blessings and Opportunities I have been maintaining my abstinence through illness, one day at a time, for the past eighteen months, and I am so grateful to other abstinent fellows who had shared with me, prior to my diagnosis, that they faced chronic health conditions. I thought it was a miracle they were abstinent despite their ill health. Then I was diagnosed with … Read More
Steps Traditions Group-Level Effort Service at the group level is that which can be accomplished by the group members on a weekly basis. Tradition Eight at the group level reminds me that I’m just one of many trying to survive the disease of compulsive eating. The longer I’m in program, the more I realize I don’t know what will work for anyone other than … Read More
Service Tools & Concepts The Business of Recovery Early on, I was taught that OA is a business as well as a recovery program. My service in OA is both part of the business side and part of my recovery. When I serve, I not only help further my own program, but I also help make recovery a possibility for others. If I am a group secretary, I … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Many Forms of Footwork I am a compulsive eater and have been in program for thirteen years, but abstinent consistently, if not perfectly, for only the past year. I don’t like to count numbers and days, but I consider my first twelve years in program as vital to me and my recovery as this past abstinent year has been. For me, recovery isn’t a … Read More
Share It Professional Benefits I’ve had similar experiences to those described in “Corporate Conscience” (February 2019, p. 22), where a member observed that her group conscience meetings were much more efficient than meetings in her professional life. The article also reminded me to appreciate the benefits of recovery that I now use in my career: Abstinence gives me the ability to focus on what … Read More
Meetings Tools & Concepts Strong Service Bodies “What on earth do service bodies and OA’s service structure have to do with me?” you might ask. “I just go to meetings. That other stuff is for older people in the program.” OA’s service structure has a lot to do with you, if you’re an OA member and you value your program, your recovery, your meetings, and your life. … Read More
Diversity Recovery Around the World Service-Based Blessing A number of years ago, my area had two intergroups with quite a bit of dissension between them. Fortunately, some of the members saw that what they were doing wasn’t working. They had the idea to disband both intergroups and start a new, unified intergroup. Our local fellowship was on board with this idea, and Unity Intergroup was born. I was … Read More
Service Tools & Concepts A Team Effort I presently attend a weekly meeting led by a woman who is half my age and who inspires me. She has lost 40 pounds (18 kg) and is really grateful for what OA has done for her. She gets on her knees and says a short prayer to her Higher Power both after awakening and before going to bed. But … Read More
Sponsoring Tools & Concepts What If At a recent OA business meeting, our discussion revolved around member retention: how can we keep newcomers and other members coming back? After the meeting, a person near me said, “What if . . . what if everyone here took on one more sponsee?” What if? What if? This churned in my mind for over a week as I thought … Read More