Sponsoring Tools & Concepts Working the Program Partners in Recovery There are many different ways to share experience, strength, and hope in the OA Fellowship. As two OA members in recovery, we would like to share a way that has worked for us. We have been calling our relationship “Partners in Recovery.” Together, we have developed a unique relationship that is separate from a sponsor/sponsee relationship, although we still continue … Read More
Fellowship Relapse Relapse & Recovery Fully Covered I was thinking about why we buy car insurance aside from the fact that it is required by law. Car insurance is basically protecting my asset in the event of an accident. The car I drive is valuable; therefore, I opt for full coverage. This means that no matter what happens, it can be restored (or replaced) if damaged. I … Read More
Meetings Recovery Working the Program worldwide Day or Night I need a traveling program, one that is available to me 24/7. I have used our website, oa.org, a lot. I’ve looked up in-person meetings when I travel. This past November, I was traveling on the East Coast (I live on the West Coast), and I searched and found a meeting for every day that I was available, including a … Read More
Service Tools & Concepts Principled Decisions Our intergroup is quite small and the same people seem to switch hats at election time. (This is quite common in some intergroups, I know.) But after I served two terms in one position, with a break in between to serve in a different position, I declined at election time to serve in the coming year. It was a tortuous … Read More
Service Tools & Concepts Making Connections It’s as simple as this: I settled for food. To block the pain of my love starved existence, I used food and sugar until my carefully constructed façade of beautiful well-being began to bloat from the excesses I needed to eat to feel safe. But I had to do something to keep from losing my looks, the one thing that … Read More
Recovery Working the Program Whatever and However As a sickly kid, I learned to be dependent on my mother. She made all the decisions for me, and I learned that I was incapable of picking myself up when I fell. She was judgemental and emotionally abusive—a rageaholic and compulsive overeater. At age five, my clothes fit tightly because I was fat. I ate to bury the pain, … Read More
Sponsoring Tools & Concepts Thank-You Notes My sponsor had me start sponsoring at thirty-days abstinent. I was working Step Three by that point, so I could help newcomers getting started on Step One. My sponsor gave me ten minutes every morning for my first three years of abstinence. Now, I carry on that pattern, offering a daily ten-minute slot to someone newly abstinent and starting on Step … Read More
Steps Traditions Group-Level Effort Service at the group level is that which can be accomplished by the group members on a weekly basis. Tradition Eight at the group level reminds me that I’m just one of many trying to survive the disease of compulsive eating. The longer I’m in program, the more I realize I don’t know what will work for anyone other than … Read More
Service Tools & Concepts The Business of Recovery Early on, I was taught that OA is a business as well as a recovery program. My service in OA is both part of the business side and part of my recovery. When I serve, I not only help further my own program, but I also help make recovery a possibility for others. If I am a group secretary, I … Read More
Diversity Newcomers Core Connections I have been attending OA for about ten months. From a friend, I had some idea of what to expect coming into my first meeting. I have a tendency to deeply connect with the emotions of other people in any room. Sometimes this is a blessing, sometimes it’s a struggle. In that first OA meeting, I immediately felt the openness … Read More
