Abstinence Being Nourished This is my twenty-ninth year in OA and my twenty-sixth year in recovery, which for me means back-to-back abstinence and main…
Relapse & Recovery Craving Sanity Over twenty-two years ago, after six years of being in OA, I finally accepted that there were certain foods I could not begi…
Abstinence These Wonderful Things If asked whether abstinence is the most important thing in my life, I would have to answer, “Yes, abstinence is one of the m…
Abstinence Abstinence Adjustments I joined OA in 1978 when I was 51 years old. In the beginning, my abstinence adhered to a strict, weighed and measured, very…
Abstinence Plan to Evolve I just celebrated my thirty-year OA birthday. My eating has evolved over the years, and my abstinence has changed many times…
Diversity The Benefits of Aging In October I celebrated my 80th birthday, and in November I celebrated my fifteenth anniversary in OA. For me, it was a time…
Diversity Promise to My Granny When I was young, my granny always told me it’s what’s on the inside that matters, but I couldn’t help but see myself as ugl…
Higher Power What Hasn’t Changed? Spring of 2015 was the turning point. I had to get my fix of food no matter the cost. I maxed out my credit card, took from …
How OA Changed My Life Peace and Food I stood in the middle of the living room as my mother pinned my new jeans to hem them. (I was about to enter the seventh gra…
Higher Power Ready for the Journey I am a 58-year-old male. I have been on the “diet yo-yo” five or six times in my life. Each time, I lost weight and kept it …
How OA Changed My Life Recovery True Freedom When a fellow OA member suggested I reflect on what true freedom looks like for me, I discovered I could probably write a book. Before OA, I truly felt I already had it in the form of a solid career, … Read More
Higher Power Spirituality Stepping-Stones, Nuggets, and Gems Spirituality is the solution to our problem of powerlessness, and we find this solution in the Twelve Step program of recovery. I’ve experienced three stepping-stones in this process: Amen, Amends, Am… Read More
The Road Narrows My twenty-ninth birthday in OA is approaching, and it is cause for renewed reflection about my program. I spoke to my sponsor a week ago and mentioned to her that I was thinking of not taking a candle this year. Other OA members on their birthdays pitch about life changes: weddings, kids, jobs, financial gain, or acquisition of cars. I … Read More
Share It: Powerful Shares, Joyful Reading, Pages and Prayers Powerful Shares I wanted to share how sad I am to hear about the discontinuation of Lifeline. It has literally been a lifeline to me. I am one of the ones who answered your 2018 subscription appeal, and I recently renewed my subscription and will cherish every last issue. Thank you for the articles about “The Joys of Retreats and … Read More
Recovery Beyond Measure In a few days, I will celebrate thirty-eight years of recovery in OA. Today my goal is health, sanity, and wellness, not a size 8. Physically, my body has been a normal size for many years. G-d has removed the compulsion for what I call “the hard stuff”—the stuff you see at the grocery checkout counter. I have reached a … Read More