Steps Surrender Happens 24/7 When I came into OA, I was on the edge of a mental breakdown. I’d tried everything to stop my food obsession and my destructive food behaviors. I’d done a lot of work on myself and learned lots of self-help tricks, but nothing was working. I was numbing my feelings 24/7 and could not see a way out. That was … Read More
Tools & Concepts Building on Success I had been attending meetings sporadically for a few months and was thinking about a plan of eating. I read about the different plans listed in Where Do I Start?, but I wasn’t drawn to any of it. So, I asked my sponsor for his take on the subject. He suggested I choose a plan that I was 99 percent sure … Read More
Diversity Newcomers Young, Now Hopeful I always have to applaud newcomers because coming into my first OA meeting was one of the scariest experiences of my life. I was 15 years old when I started, and I had a monstrous fear of being judged or laughed at. I could already hear what other members would say about me: “You’re too young! What could you possibly … Read More
Meetings Tools & Concepts Just Like Me Attending my first OA meeting was the result of seeing some dramatic changes in a close friend. We had known each other long enough that we knew each other’s big secret: We were compulsive eaters. It was fine to share such an intimacy on a personal level, but the thought of doing it in a room full of strangers seemed … Read More
Spirituality All I’ve Ever Wanted I have been maintaining an abstinent weight of 125 pounds (57 kg) since September 2015. My early life was what I’d call a perfect breeding ground for addiction: I grew up in an alcoholic home full of insanity, loud arguments that got my heart pounding, shame, abandonment, and no talk of a Higher Power at all. I remained hyper vigilant, turning … Read More
Working the Program Contrary Action I have been in program for six years and have recently found recovery. The obsession of the mind has been removed, and I can honestly say I no longer desire to use food as a solution to life’s problems. I have been placed in a position of neutrality with food, and I feel grateful to God and to this program … Read More