Raised Voices

My sponsor asked me to consider the Tools of literature and writing. Reading OA literature and writing my thoughts about what I read are essential to my recovery as a compulsive overeater. Here is my perspective on my fifty-eighth day of abstinence:

Reading literature is another way of listening to someone’s voice. With OA literature, I can train my ears to listen actively—I can join hands with the writer. The writer is speaking only to me, and if I don’t get it, I listen again (reread), asking my Higher Power to open my mind and heart. At OA meetings I am learning to listen, soaking up words like a sponge; reading too is a form of OA fellowship for me.

Writing has a voice also, but it is my voice, a way of speaking my truth. At its best, writing is like traveling to a new country and exploring new ideas to get me past the rut and lies about food and eating. When I write as a compulsive overeater, writing becomes a way of speaking without interruption; it takes me places I need to go.

— Anonymous, New Mexico USA