Anorexia & Bulimia Diversity The Doctors on the Road to Recovery Two doctors gave me tough love at crucial times in my recovery, for which I am now grateful, though I wasn’t at the time. Shortly after I joined OA in 1990, my new friends suggested I see my general practitioner about my recurring stomach upsets. This doctor told me bluntly that the upsets were due to my anorexia, specifically from … Read More
Tools & Concepts Professional Planning When I came into OA in July of 1995, I was working for a weight-loss company and terrified of losing my job because of my weight gain. I was following a diet plan, which is quite different from a plan of eating, and I had to report my food to my manager and weigh in each month. I was in … Read More
Traditions Not an Expert Tradition Eight: Overeaters Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers. This Tradition has two parts to it. First, “Overeaters Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional.” As I’m writing on this, I’m realizing now that one of my sponsors was evoking this Tradition with me. In her professional life, she was trained to be a therapist/counselor. … Read More
Tools & Concepts HOW I Do It I wonder if the Overeaters Anonymous Fellowship took a wrong turn back near the beginning. Like AA, we kept our program one of suggestions rather than requirements. But abstinence in AA is clear-cut: don’t drink alcohol. Abstinence in OA is vague and unspecified: “the action of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working towards or maintaining a … Read More
Service Tools & Concepts Health Fair Help from HP One Friday in September, from noon to 6:00 p.m., our DC Metro Intergroup sponsored a table at a wellness fair in Silver Spring, Maryland USA. I had my doubts about coordinating for the fair and wanted to back out numerous times. But then I was reminded—I did not have to do anything alone, and HP was in charge. I contacted … Read More
How OA Changed My Life Recovery Eating to Be Undesirable I spent the first part of my adult life wearing sizes 7 and 9 in clothes, until the event, the incestuous encounter. What made my incestuous situation unusual? My perpetrator was my father, and I was an adult when it happened. I was in such shock after the event that for the next few days my brain (to help me … Read More
Atheists & Agnostics Living Instead My psychologist recommended I go an OA meeting, but it took three months before I actually set foot through the door. I told him I didn’t think I could give up sugar and didn’t believe in god, so OA wouldn’t work for me. He laughed and told me that was the addict speaking. It took me those three months of … Read More
Tools & Concepts Miracles to Me The word “abstinence” comes from “abstain,” which means “to refrain from.” Since we cannot completely refrain from eating, we have to figure out a food plan that meets our nutritional needs but does not include trigger foods or things we’re addicted to. “Keep it simple” is the best advice anyone has given me when it comes to my food plan. My food … Read More
Tools & Concepts Thought, Preparing for Action Step Three: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. When I first joined Overeaters Anonymous, the first three Steps annoyed and frustrated me. What were these Steps that could not be proven with any tangible evidence? I wanted to be writing my inventory in Step Four so … Read More
Abstinence Tools & Concepts Understand, Appreciate, Implement, Reflect I came to understand abstinence initially by doing what I saw other recovering OA members doing. This included: weighing and measuring food; following a food plan created by a registered dietician who tailored it for my body’s needs; avoiding sugar and wheat products; doing OA outreach phone calls; attending meetings; doing service; reading OA and AA literature; journaling daily; studying … Read More
