Anorexia & Bulimia Diversity Could and Would For thirty years, I was bulimic, but I have not purged in almost eight years. When my weight reached an all-time high of 293…
Keep Coming Back Relapse The Freedom Fifteen On February 6, 2018, I will celebrate fifteen years without a binge. My biological birth date is December 16, 1955, but in t…
Steps Never and Always Step One: We admitted we were powerless over food—that our lives had become unmanageable. When I read about Step One and thi…
Recovery Working the Program Recovery Routine I work my program every day by doing a morning routine. First, I say the first three Steps. Then I say program prayers: the …
Share It Our Own Concept After reading “Be a Coach!” (May/June 2017), my group had a group conscience meeting about the concept of a sponsor being a …
Gratitude Recovery Lessons Learned I just celebrated my sixth OA birthday and took time to reflect upon what I have learned. I am sending this to Lifeline per …
How OA Changed My Life Recovery Mysteries Solved After two years of denying I needed OA, I surrendered. Attending my first meeting was one of the hardest things I’ve ever do…
Recovery Relationships Finally Understood In May 2015, I was up 30 pounds (14 kg) from a yearlong sugar binge. Though I had been on a constant roller-coaster of losin…
How OA Changed My Life Recovery Profound Change Change is good, they say, and like medicine, it’s often prescribed to solve problems. I cannot tell how many times I tried t…
Share It Disappointed I just had to write in and let you know how disappointed I am that Lifeline published the story called “Turtle Tale” (August…
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