Higher Power HP’s Child People look at me and form an opinion: appearance does influence people’s thinking. If I’m overweight, others might think I’m undisciplined, but what they don’t realize is that compulsive eating is an illness. I am a person of color who has been in OA thirty-five years. I have around a 50-pound (23- kg) weight loss. When I came in, I … Read More
Higher Power Spirituality A Better Way One of my favorite OA literature quotes is from the chapter on Step Three in The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition: “Once we compulsive overeaters truly take the third step, we cannot fail to recover” (p. 23). I find it a promise on par with any other; however, I understand that promise in the context … Read More
Atheists & Agnostics Reliance, Not Defiance When I came into Overeaters Anonymous almost twenty-one years ago, I came for a diet. I needed to lose a lot of weight and keep it off! Countless doctors had assured me of the dire necessity of this; plus, my weight was impeding my interactions with my husband, children, friends, and professional life. What I didn’t think I needed was … Read More
Steps Love Would Restore Me “Came to believe . . .” I came to meetings and I came to believe many things. I came to believe there were people like me who had this same problem and found a solution. I came to believe that whatever I’d been trying wasn’t working and probably never would work. I came to believe I could try to the … Read More
Diversity Recovery Around the World Birthday at Home Recently, I had the privilege of celebrating both my twentieth OA birthday and the twentieth birthday of my OA home group. I met OA for the first time at this group’s very first meeting. For this event, we asked our intergroup to invite other OA groups to join and celebrate our journey toward recovery. We had more than double our … Read More
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 Serenity Prayer, the Third Step prayer, the Seventh Step prayer, and a shortened version of the Eleventh Step prayer. Then I say a prayer from my religious tradition for me and everyone I’m having trouble with, … Read More
Higher Power Agnostic in the Lifeboat The first thing I ever identified with in the Big Book was the chapter “We Agnostics” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., pp. 44–57). I loved everything about it and still do. I love that the title says “We.” I love how the chapter is compassionate and understanding and does not talk down to anyone. When I first read it, I felt … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Time: Now; Place: Present When I started in OA, I worked a “diet” program and attended meetings. I did some service. We did not have much OA literature in 1977, so I dove into the AA Big Book with passion. I had heard of, and found, hope. I was very damaged—emotional and spiritual recovery took many years. As time passed, my program of recovery … Read More
Literature A Story and a Sign I was in a situation recently where I was required to wait patiently (not my strong suit); I got out an old Lifeline to help me behave properly. When I opened it, it fell open to the perfect article for me, a story that dealt with letting go of compulsive action and surrendering an emotion-packed situation to a Higher Power. My … Read More
Steps Mopping Up Mistakes Step Nine Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Almost no one looks forward to doing Step Nine, yet it plays such an important part in any recovery that goes beyond weight loss. Two experiences showed me the advantage of working this Step with a sponsor. Whenever I reviewed … Read More