Steps An Idea Whose Time Has Come My thinking can get me into a ditch on the side of the road. For example, if I read Step Two questions such as “What do I need from a Higher Power? What would I like such a Power to be and do in my life?” (The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition, p. 13), I … Read More
Anorexia & Bulimia Diversity Until I Could I am grateful to have been accepted in OA as a person who is not overweight and is a lesbian. My eating disorder began at age 14, when I became aware of my sexual orientation. The thought of being gay was so reprehensible to me that I began hiding myself from myself; I created a distraction by obsessing about food … Read More
Diversity Newcomers Long Shot Win Overeaters Anonymous seemed like a long shot to me. How could it help me? I didn’t have serious weight issues—but my eating was out of control. I certainly was a compulsive eater. I spent most of my day obsessing about what to eat. Should I eat some protein or maybe more greens or perhaps just give up and eat potato … Read More
Steps Soul Food Step Five is where we begin to learn how to love ourselves. Most of us know something is wrong in the way we’re living, but we have no idea how to address it. When we allow ourselves to get vulnerable with another human being in Step Five, we open a door that creates greater understanding of our personality and character—the … Read More
Meetings Tools & Concepts The Regulars We call ourselves “The Regulars,” although there’s nothing regular about any of us, except this: we keep coming back to our 7 a.m. meetings, Monday through Friday, week after week. Many of us come every day, some only on certain days, and several core members have been showing up for many years. What, you may ask, would drive us to … Read More
Steps Two New This morning, as part of my daily spiritual practice, I read a page from For Today and felt excitement. It is February, the month of Step Two. Although each of the Twelve Steps has played a significant role in my spiritual growth, Step Two has a special place in my heart. Step Two and Tradition Two transformed my understanding of … Read More
Meetings Tools & Concepts First Meeting Back The seed of OA was planted in this compulsive person’s head in 2002 when I was 19 years old, but I was not yet ready to accept the fact that I was a compulsive overeater. Fast-forward to 2015: at 31 years old, I was at the end of my rope—I’d lost my will to fight for myself and was questioning … Read More
Recovery Relationships More Kindness As far back as I can remember, I never felt truly loved by anyone. Different issues and circumstances in my life reinforced this belief over the years. As a compulsive overeater, I sought comfort in food and used it to try to numb some of the hurt I felt deep inside. As a result, my weight climbed higher and higher. This caused me … Read More