Abstinence Choice and Freedom To me abstinence means freedom: freedom from the obsession with food and having to act on it when I get cravings. I still think about food a lot (I’m quite newly abstinent), but I have the choice not to pick-up because of certain daily actions that give me protection. Abstinence means sanity. It keeps food in its right place. I … Read More
Relapse Twelfth Step Within Kindred Spirit When we met, I said that I knew there was a reason, and perhaps this is it. Perhaps we may suffer from the same horrible disease, compulsive overeating. For most of my life, I didn’t know that, to me, food was an addiction. Certain foods are like heroin to me. It wasn’t until I went to a meeting that I … Read More
Recovery Relationships New Options Before I found OA, food was my answer to everything and anything. If I had a problem, I would eat. Uncomfortable feelings meant more food. After spending time in OA, I came to believe and accept that food is an ineffective means of coping. Using food to cope is no longer an option for me. Now, I eat to live, … Read More
Recovery Relationships Changes on the Inside Before I came to OA, my life looked pretty good from the outside: I had a job, friends, and a normal body weight. But inside, I was often fearful. I was disconnected from others, and I felt inadequate. I engaged in various compulsive food behaviors. Over the years my compulsive eating had gone up and down, but it was always … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Simple, Powerful Acts Since arriving in the OA rooms, I have a new understanding of forgiving myself and others. OA does not say I must be good or walk on my knees repenting. OA says: Make a list, go to meetings, share my despair and hear the despair of others, and listen to the solutions that each of us apply, one day at a … Read More
Relapse & Recovery Out of My Closet I have been in the rooms of OA for five years. I have been relieved of 91 pounds (41 kg). I have been in and out of relapse and have heard many stories of fellows who suffered terribly in this disease. I did not understand the phrase “we use food to stuff emotions we do not want to feel” until … Read More
Service Call Out Last year, I made an outreach call during a difficult time. It was my first call to this particular member. Her tone was cold and distant. After a few minutes, I realized I wasn’t getting what I needed from the conversation, so I thanked her for her time and ended the call. I remembered what a wise member once told me: “You can’t … Read More
