Abstinence Top Ten . . . Ways I Achieved Abstinence My sponsor asked me if I was willing to stop throwing up. I said yes and made a commitment. I knew that if I wasn’t going to throw up anymore, then I needed to quit bingeing too. God gave me the willingness and ability to keep my commitment. He continued to do so every day for the past twenty-three and … Read More
Relapse Relapse & Recovery One Thing I Did Right I’m sorry to say I’ve had many relapses during my twenty-two years in program. But the last five years have been much better: back-to-back abstinence based on putting together a program that uses all the OA elements. My program reminds me of my first relapse, how I got into it and how I got out. I had come into OA … Read More
Relapse Relapse & Recovery Help Through the Tools As I sit here at day forty-five of my abstinence, I am amazed and grateful for what has turned out to be like a joyride! I’ve had a couple days of waking up crabby, but I told my sponsor, put it out on calls, surrendered it to God, and soon found myself back on my joyride again. When I think … Read More
Fellowship Recovery Marking This Day The purpose of this special day, International Day Experiencing Abstinence, is to encourage members to establish or reaffirm their own abstinence. Many people ask what abstinence is, so we will look to the OA Policy on Abstinence and Recovery: “The WSBC 2019 accepts the following definitions: Abstinence: The act of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working … Read More
Relapse Relapse & Recovery One Small Change When I first came to OA in 1985, I was blessed to walk into a meeting full of recovery, love, fellowship, and fun. Abstinent sponsors were available, and a group of about eight of us ate lunch together afterwards, did things together, and gave service beyond the group level. (Our specialty was entertainment for OA events.) We had parties at … Read More
Service Tools & Concepts Service Put Me There Service above the group level was never in my plans, but as I write this, I am the treasurer for my region. Thanks to my region-level service, I am about 30 pounds (14 kg) lighter! After twelve years of recovery and maintaining a 40-pound (18-kg) weight loss, I thought my weight-loss days were over, and I was comfortable with that. … Read More
Recovery Relationships Word of Hope When I woke up on Unity Day, I wasn’t too thrilled to be around people. The disease of compulsive overeating, which for me is a cacophony of voices in my head, was screaming that I didn’t need to be at Unity Day with other compulsive overeaters. My disease was permitting me to isolate! It didn’t matter that I made a … Read More
Literature Tools & Concepts Self-Sustaining Abstinence Did you know that OA exists in Barillas, Guatemala? I am writing to you from a small, rural village outside of the town. Today is Thanksgiving Day in America. My heart is full of gratitude, and my belly is not stuffed from overeating holiday treats! My two teens, my husband, and I have spent the last four days with the … Read More
Anorexia & Bulimia Diversity Meltdown Medicine: Use the Tools I’m a recovering anorexic and bulimic. I have over seven years of not purging, over six years of not weighing myself, and over five years of not restricting. I’m a firm believer that, with time, abstaining gets easier. What I learned this week, however, is there will be days when that doesn’t feel true. Three weeks ago, I had a … Read More
Keep Coming Back Relapse A Life Transformed Last year I was 14 and a half stone (92 kg; 203 lbs) and ate incessantly when I wasn’t at work. I ate anything in sight. My knees complained as I struggled up the stairs at the end of my shifts. My heart was unhappy about coping with my extra weight. Despite knowing what I should do and promising every … Read More
