I remember my last binge very clearly. I called my local OA office that night, and I will never forget the woman I spoke to and how glad I was to speak to an actual person. A few days later, she took me to my first meeting.

Since that day (more than ten years ago), through the grace of God, OA, and the Twelve Steps, I haven’t had to turn to bingeing, purging, or starving. My life has gotten much bigger, and I am grateful. My life depends on working my program, so I do not want to go one day without OA. I value my sanity, and I know recovery comes from my HP and the Fellowship.

My hope is more people discover OA, so I do my best to contribute at meetings and make annual donations. OA suggests at least three dollars per meeting. When I look back at my binge and think about the progressive nature of the disease, that seems like a small price to pay.

Before OA, I spent a lot of money on my food addiction. I went to any length for my fix. I spent money and time on:

  • expensive diet shakes, bars, and meal plans (yuck—talk about insanity)
  • fast food
  • convenience store visits
  • sweet treats (even gourmet because no price was too high for my cravings)
  • eating out for lunch at work, even when I’d brought mine from home
  • diet sodas (I needed to have one in my hand nearly all the time)
  • gum and mints (I needed these if I wasn’t drinking diet soda or eating)
  • laxatives
  • diet pills
  • workout equipment, gym memberships, and personal training sessions (which I had to cancel because I was too sick from bingeing)
  • health care (I ended up in the emergency room because of bingeing and purging)
  • clothes in several sizes

Life is different now. Program requires me to open my heart and spirit to an entirely new way of living, and it’s beyond my wildest dreams. I no longer need to spend my money on my disease, so I want to share it with OA so others can recover. The World Service Office, our regions, and our intergroups help carry the message to those who still suffer, so I need to pass on what has been so freely given to me.

Money is much like recovery—we can’t keep it unless we also share it with others. For today, I am choosing to keep the flow of recovery moving on all levels!

— Lisa B., St. Louis, Missouri USA

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