I used to be someone who would dive into things and give 100 percent, but only until the going got tough or I became bored. Then I’d move on—from jobs, weight-loss programs, even interests. For me to keep coming back to OA is testimony of the power of this program. I keep coming back because: OA works long-term when nothing …

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My name is Lucy. I am a pug. I want to tell how my brother Joey, my sister MP, and I all helped with our Mom’s recovery. In 2009, our Mom was very sad. She was eating a lot. Nothing would help. She even took trips and had holidays but was still very sad. We decided to help. On our Mom’s …

Dear Mr. Merriam, dear Mr. Webster, I write to you as a humble requester. I propose a new spelling of a certain word; The change would be seen but would not be heard. The word in question is now spelled “serenity.” I suggest changing it instead to “surrenity.” If one “surrenders” using “humility,” One can achieve a sense of tranquility: …

When something is eating away at me, I can discuss it with program friends. When there’s too much on my plate, and I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, I can ask my Higher Power to help me prioritize. When I want to have my cake and eat it too, I can remember it’s all in God’s hands. When …

In my recovery, I had problems trying to understand the OA program. It was simple, and that was the problem. I was baffled by its simplicity. I also practice tai chi and enjoy the challenge of learning new moves, but what I find is this: The easy moves are hard and the hard moves are easy. Standing at my front …

When I was young, learning to ride a bicycle seemed like a monumental task—exciting, but difficult to learn. I wanted to do what the other children could. Riding a bicycle looked like fun, and I wanted to have fun. My mom held my seat and ran behind me while I pedaled. When I wasn’t looking, she let go. The scariest …

“Just put down the food and you’ll recover”—that simply didn’t make sense to me. If I could just do that, I wouldn’t be in OA. I had successfully put down the food before—many times before—but eventually would pick it up again, eating excessively. Food was my enemy and my best friend. Why couldn’t I eat moderately? Why was I so …

I was a great believer in whatever the next diet, philosophy, or trick was. You see, I knew there was a solution. Desperate, bingeing, swearing off, gaining weight, once-in-a-blue-moon losing weight through unhealthy restricting, and begging God to help me, eventually I found my way to OA. I was in another Twelve Step program, so I knew asking for help …

I am a 62-year-old male, and since I came into program at the end of March 2015, my marriage has been restored and my family is mostly on good terms with me. My depression has lifted. I have excellent friendships inside and outside the Fellowship, and I feel a joy in daily living I had not felt for forty or …