Atheists & Agnostics Higher Power HP Did for Me I was 19 and had been in OA for six months and abstinent throughout that period. I’d learned about a Higher Power but hadn’t felt the presence of one. I certainly didn’t believe it might be real for me. I accepted that it worked for other people, and I believed that they believed. But I was still willing and able … Read More
Atheists & Agnostics Higher Power The Spirit of the Traditions Before program, I considered God a slot machine. I kept playing because once in a while a few coins dribbled out. But my fruitless quest for happiness felt like the extension of a drunken dream. If someone had asked me about HP, I would have given a boilerplate statement about “following my bliss,” or I might have said I didn’t … Read More
Keep Coming Back Relapse Renewed Humility, New Peace I am a returning member, back in OA after many relapses over the past fourteen years. Earlier this year, after almost a year of abstinent recovery and losing two thirds of the weight I need to lose for my health, I began experiencing painful and disturbing digestive symptoms. It took months for doctors to diagnose the trouble, and in the … Read More
Relapse Relapse & Recovery When Choice is Not an Option Over the years, I’ve heard people in our Fellowship speak about having “choices” when it comes to food and eating: “the choice to eat healthy or not” or “the choice of bingeing or not.” While this might be true for some, I feel compelled to speak to those for whom the notion of having choices does not apply. I know … 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
Steps Morning Crossing When I drew this picture, I realized that I was like the baby loon on its mother’s back. If I try to venture out alone, I am facing a lot of danger from my disease, which hides below the surface. So every morning, I have to turn over my will to God and ride along, safe because God cares for … Read More
Sponsoring Tools & Concepts Sponsor vs. Skeptic When I was denied for weight-loss surgery, I was devastated. Crying, I went to my primary care physician, threw my hands in the air, and shouted, “I give up! The whole world is against me, and no one wants to help me. If I’m going to be fat forever, then I might as well just go eat myself into oblivion.” … Read More
Tools & Concepts Following HP’s Path New Year’s resolutions are magical thinking: Tomorrow I’ll lose weight, quit overeating, exercise, eat only low-fat, or only fat, or only whatever else is the fad of the day. By July I’ll lose 100 pounds (45 kg), life will be perfect, and other insane fantasies. An action plan is sanity: Today I’ll follow a food plan, exercise, and use the … Read More
Keep Coming Back Relapse Courage to Persevere I first went to an OA meeting in February 1990, when a student of mine took me with her. It wasn’t an easy thing for her, admitting to her teacher that she had an addiction. Her courage taught me a lot. I couldn’t believe the First Step before I first took it—that I was powerless over food and my life … Read More
Steps Define “Meaningful” Step Six: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character I just celebrated my fourteenth year in OA. That’s amazing to me and I’m so grateful that my obsessions with food, overeating, and dieting have almost always been lifted—or I can use Tools or white-knuckle it until the obsession passes, which it quickly does. I have … Read More