First Things

After four and a half years in OA, Rachel had experienced both solid abstinence and a period when life’s challenges had her surviving but not thriving. “What really propelled me through,” she says of this challenging time in her life, “was working another set of Steps.”

Surrender Happens 24/7

After one year of abstinence, Elena is challenged by thoughts, emotions, and feelings that can no longer be numbed with food, and this is her opportunity to practice surrendering so many things to a higher power. “But I never found these more difficult than going the experience of letting go of busyness and being faced with boredom,” she says.

Reflections: A Visit with OA’s Founder

Recorded in 1999 on the occasion of OA’s 40th anniversary, OA’s founder Rozanne S. shares her recollections of OA’s simple beginnings and giant strides. Listen and learn about the history of OA’s Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, world service, and early group conscience.

Interview with Esti: Compulsive Eater and Dieter

Esti remembers as a teen feeling a compulsive need to diet and believing she was heavier than she actually was. She ate to cope with negative emotions and could not stop thinking about food.

Esti recalls immediately feeling comfortable at OA meetings and finding abstinence. Looking back, Esti says her inner life has changed significantly, and she is able to live her life without obsessing about food.

Interview with Kathleen: Binge Eater

Kathleen’s binge eating and low self-esteem made her ill and unable to hold a job. She was in the midst of bingeing and counting calories when she heard on the radio a public service announcement about Overeaters Anonymous. When she attended her first meeting, someone told her “You’re not alone anymore,” and that was enough to give her hope and start her on her recovery journey.