Recovery Working the Program From Great Fall to Grateful I would like to tell you how I think the character, Humpty Dumpty, can be like some compulsive overeaters. Humpty Dumpty had been told not to get on that wall. It was slippery and dangerous. “No one can tell me what to do. I will keep climbing that wall; I will not stop. I’m in control. I’m Superman,” he told … Read More
Service Between Steps One and Twelve When it comes to service and footwork for OA, I rarely say no when I’m asked to do a job, unless I have a good reason. I have started meetings, held meetings in my home, provided childcare, and been the literature person, secretary, treasurer, intergroup rep, WSBC delegate, and contact person. I’ve gone to the intergroup office for needed materials, … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Choosing A Discipline I work a pretty structured program and sometimes hear people talk about “rigidity” when they refer to things that I do gladly. It’s spiritually liberating, and has given me fourteen abstinent years so far, so I’m a happy boy. I choose a disciplined approach because I made a deal with God that I would do my share to maintain a … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Ten Things Here is what has helped me get abstinent: Planning out my food for the next twenty-four hours and making my lunch and snack night before. Making a commitment to my OA sponsor (by phone or email) of what I will eat for the next twenty-four hours. If I need to change it, I call her ahead of time. Being rigorously … Read More
Higher Power Spirituality Honest to God Surrender is such a simple yet profound concept. When thought about, it seems so impossible and distant, yet when practiced, it is right at my fingertips. I find this dichotomy strange. In my religion, the recognition that we need God’s help to accomplish anything in life is meant to be second nature. However, in my life, this has been an … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Putting a HALT to HALT When I made a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of my Higher Power, I received an insight into how I could remain willing to live in surrender. In recovery, I’ve often been reminded to recognize when I’m hungry, angry, lonely, or tired—the HALT of the program. Even one of these four can set … Read More
Relapse Slipping & Sliding Nonslip Grip I have been in OA for twenty-eight years. Before OA, I was a force to be dealt with, very carefully and with dread. I was filled with self-righteous indignation. Imagine my surprise when I discovered indignation was just a synonym for resentment. That Step Four was a real eye-opener. It wasn’t everybody else’s fault after all. Now I am so … Read More
Abstinence Abstinence is Possible I am new to OA. I’ve been with the program for 101 days. I first went to a meeting to support my daughter, but I was nervous and unsure about going. I’d heard about OA through a client who lost 100 pounds (45 kg) three years ago and kept it off. I asked how she did it and she said, … Read More
Anorexia & Bulimia Don’t Do It Alone I am a lifer. My disease is such that I can never leave OA. I spent a lifetime struggling to control my food and body, and the result was a soul-wrenching desperation to find another way. My disease takes a form I call “classic bulimia.” I binged until it hurt, threw up, and then binged again. It wasn’t always end-on-end … Read More
Recovery Love, Licks, and Fellowship Thank you for making “Pets and Recovery” a topic for Lifeline. My name is Chloe V., and I’ve served my local OA as a recovery mascot for many years. At first, I just attended one meeting occasionally, but everyone was so friendly I wanted to keep coming back. I became mascot to our intergroup when Mommy served on the board. … Read More
