Program Beauties Sensitivity to criticism is a character trait of mine that started early on. (It even appeared as a comment on my third grade report card.) I felt criticized at home and developed an oversensitivity to any comment from anyone. I still have a tendency to misperceive comments or questions as criticism and react defensively, with anger and resentment. In OA, … Read More
Discipline for the Day With enormous gratitude, I celebrate nineteen years of OA recovery this month. However, it is not the number of days abstinent that defines me today. What matters most is taking actions to manifest outwardly the changes inside me. This does not simply come about by following a food plan. It is also not enough to say, “God, do your thing.” … Read More
Promises Missed I enjoyed my August 2014 Lifeline very much but think the issue’s title could have been better. I am a huge fan of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, and credit my fourteen-plus years and more than 80 pounds (36 kg) of recovery to repeatedly working the Steps with my sponsor using the Big Book directions. I love all the promises … Read More
Which Word I didn’t focus so much on the word “abstinence” in the March Lifeline Ask-It Basket until I read a Share It in the August issue that expressed and explained why. I, a longtime OA member, have always struggled with the word “abstinence.” It took me several years to come to terms with that word. In fact, coming to terms was … Read More
Road to Serenity When I first came to program, I did not understand the first part of the Serenity Prayer: “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.” How could I accept all the wrong things in my life and the universe? Although everyone told me that “accepting” does not mean “liking,” it took a long while to understand this … Read More
No Choice I was not willing to let go of the food. Therefore, I was not willing to trust. I didn’t want my sugar addiction to be taken away from me. I wanted what I wanted, so of course, I craved and craved and gained and gained, and I couldn’t think of stopping my compulsion . . . until my problems finally … Read More
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
Putting a HALT to HALT When I made a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of my Higher Power, I received an insight into how I could remain willing to live in surrender. In recovery, I’ve often been reminded to recognize when I’m hungry, angry, lonely, or tired—the HALT of the program. Even one of these four can set … Read More
Transferable Skills Six weeks ago, my little brother took his own life after several decades of dealing with emotional pain. He was 44 years old and had struggled with bipolar syndrome and alcoholism since he was a teenager. His death still feels like a knife in my soul, but with the help of OA and the Twelve Steps, I’m learning to handle … Read More
Resentment Prayer I learned early on in OA that if I had a resentment toward someone, I was to pray for the individual to get everything that I wanted for myself. After praying for such a person, I found out recently that my prayer was answered. The thing I wanted was to go back home and visit the small town in which … Read More