For many years I blamed my mother for conditions in our family that fostered my addictive nature and compulsive relationship with food. Because ours was such a confusing mixture of love and resentment, and because I never received the support and guidance I needed, I never thought I would want to bring a child into this world. Thank goodness for …

“In our belief any scheme of combating alcoholism which proposes to shield the sick man from temptation is doomed to failure” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., p. 101). The Big Book promised that working the Twelve Steps would allow me to feel neutral about my former binge foods. This was one of the things that attracted me to OA. I wouldn’t …

In 2003, I was in my 30s and I couldn’t stop bingeing. In spite of the fat, depression, headaches, stomachaches, diarrhea, and isolation, I just couldn’t stop. So I came to OA, got a sponsor, and started weighing and measuring my food. My goal was to work the program intensely for one year and “get it.” (I had always been a …

By the grace of God, working the Steps and using the Tools, I have been free from the compulsion to overeat for four years, one day at a time. And I would like to keep it that way. Recently, I was traveling: I went through seven time zones, which challenged my routine. I know this is a program of action …

“Any form of service—no matter how small— that helps reach a fellow sufferer adds to the quality of our own recovery.” —The Tools of Recovery Six months ago, I moved, leaving behind the OA meeting that had been my home for five years—my strong, healthy meeting full of abstinent recovery and knowledge of the Twelve Steps. There are meetings in …

I was two years into recovery when my partner and I packed up our car with abstinent food, my food scale, an air mattress, two lanterns, and our very first tent. We hit the open road on an eight-day, crosscountry trip across the southeastern United States. I’d already researched historical sites, museums, and campsites, and I felt profound gratitude for my …

Traveling to the OA Region One Assembly was a perfect opportunity for me to practice navigating an airport without compulsively wanting to eat. I am really glad I had my plan of eating in place. Arriving at the airport two hours early sometimes leaves me with time on my hands. The smells of airport foods can arouse compulsiveness out of …

Lack of connection to my OA Fellowship is my biggest challenge while on vacation. My regular meeting isn’t available, and my cell phone doesn’t work for making outreach calls when I travel outside the country. Isolation from other OA members, minus my usual routine, is a dangerous formula for me. My last trip to Germany was quite challenging. I was …

Early in my recovery, I realized my yearning to be spontaneous kept me in bondage to my disease. I put things off until life got out of control; then my anxiety escalated, my character defects flared up, and the food started talking to me. I learned to make a daily action plan that organized healthy meals (with enough time to …