Higher Power has graced me with this realization: in our lifesaving program, I’ve come to have a preference for certain Steps more than others! It is an uncomfortable awareness. I know that each and every Step has a purpose in my recovery and each and every one is part of a dynamic combination that covers every aspect of my life. …

Although we are in May, it is always a good time for me to work towards being self-supporting. Though I’ve had some slips along the way, I have a lot of experience applying this Tradition in my personal life. Here are two ways I help support the Fellowship that saved my life. I set up an ARC, an Automatic Recurring …

Am I a worthy ambassador for OA? About a year ago, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a public event alongside a high-profile spokesperson for my company: a registered dietician. Before her presentation, I shared with her why I’d wanted to meet her and work with her. I greatly admire her work in teaching the public about healthy eating …

Service is one of the OA Tools, but it is also the backbone of our program. If nobody did any service, we wouldn’t have any meetings, any literature, or any conventions or other events. Simply put, our program is run on a lot of volunteer labor, and ultimately all our income comes from donations. If you make outreach phone calls, …

I have been attending OA for about nine or ten months. Coming into my first meeting, I did have some idea of what to expect; a friend had told me. I have a tendency to connect deeply with the emotions of people in a room; sometimes that’s a blessing, sometimes it’s a struggle. In that first meeting, I immediately felt …

I am alive. When I reflect on the mistakes I’ve made, I realize how lucky I am to be alive: I seem to find balance when I least anticipate it, through luck and working the Twelve Steps. Perhaps that’s because coincidence is simply Higher Power being anonymous. One way to accept that I’m fully alive is by understanding that I …

I object to the word “abstinence” in the OA pamphlet A Commitment to Abstinence. Alcoholics abstain from booze or they don’t. Overeaters cannot avoid eating (unless they go down the rabbit hole of anorexia or bulimia). I know you justify “abstinence” as refraining from overeating or other eating disorders. It sounds fake to me. Would OA as an organization consider …

“In keeping with Tradition Ten, Overeaters Anonymous has no opinion on bariatric (weight-loss) surgery. In the spirit of Tradition Three, Overeaters Anonymous welcomes anyone with a desire to stop eating compulsively, including those who have had bariatric surgery or are contemplating it” (Business Conference Policy Manual, 2018b). When the delegates to WSBC 2018 voted to adopt this policy statement, I …

From the earliest times of Twelve Step recovery, almost every effort to carry the message has included a financial cost. The need to cover these expenses inspired the development of the Seventh Tradition. We’re told that every group needs to be fully self-supporting, not only financially but also by sharing service positions to keep the meeting strong. We’re encouraged to …

I was talking to my sponsee the other day. Just writing that sentence is a revelation—me, a sponsor? That’s something I thought would never happen, and something I would never be good enough for. When I was asked to be a sponsor, I was so stunned that the first thing that flew out of my mouth was, “Are you sure?” …