Gratitude Recovery Follow Through I came into the OA program after being in treatment. I was an insane compulsive overeater, anorexic, and bulimic. I took diet pills, narcotics, and alcohol to the limits of insanity and self-harm to control my compulsion for food. I was in rehab, two psychiatric units, and OA for four years before I understood this program. I have maintained abstinence … Read More
Anorexia & Bulimia Diversity Lucky One OA saved my life—or maybe I should say OA is saving my life, one miraculous day at a time. I will celebrate my 21st birthday in May. This is a birthday I never thought I’d see, because I’d pushed the self-destruct button for most of my teenage years. A family member introduced me to the OA meetings and Fellowship when … Read More
Gratitude Recovery Tools for Sanity I came to understand my abstinence through working with my first OA sponsor in Step One, looking at what foods and food behaviors I was powerless over and when my life was unmanageable as it related to food. The most obvious problem was my nighttime bingeing, and at first my bottom-line abstinence was not bingeing at night, using the 3-0-1 … Read More
Recovery Relationships Keep Recovery a Priority I wrote a song once that said: “I am stuck in the middle of the hard part of my story.” I was 27, and I thought it was a clever lyric for a challenging time. Eleven years later, I see that difficulties back then pale in comparison to what’s happening now. Due to a series of stressful events, I am … Read More
Higher Power Spirituality A Change of Plan I have had a spiritual awakening as a result of working the Steps while being abstinent one day at a time. I know this because I am much different today than when I was either trying to control the food or else stuffing my face. The Big Book refers often to a spiritual experience or spiritual awakening; for me, that … Read More
Steps Principle Focus The last line of our Twelfth Step reads, “to practice these principles in all our affairs.” Twenty years ago, when I first came to OA, this part of the Twelfth Step seemed a lofty goal. What were these Principles? And what a tall order, to practice them in all my affairs! To do as instructed, I first had to become … Read More
Traditions What Price Freedom? I remember my last binge very clearly. I called my local OA office that night, and I will never forget the woman I spoke to and how glad I was to speak to an actual person. A few days later, she took me to my first meeting. Since that day (more than ten years ago), through the grace of God, … Read More
Steps Surrendering Dreams If this were a highly complicated program requiring complex levels of thought and planning, I would have nailed it long ago. But a simple program of recovery? Nope, that’s baffling! As wise fellows have said, “You can’t be too dumb for this program, but you can be too smart!” I have this vision of me versus God. I’m on my … Read More
Newcomers So Rewarding Newcomers help me remember the desperation that got me into OA. Newcomers remind me how powerful this disease is and how powerless I am over food. When a newcomer is at a meeting, I share my recovery, strength, and hope and stay in the solution. When I take on a newcomer as a sponsee, it is so rewarding. My recovery is boosted by … Read More
Steps One… and… Two… and… I have been in OA for six and a half years. I have struggled with relapse but also have had long stretches of abstinence. I believe a Power greater than myself can and will (in time) restore me to sanity. My sponsor asked me to write down the actions I take for Step One and Step Two. My goal for … Read More