Authority in the Rooms
“When I came into OA . . . I was working for an important corporation,” says Carrie. “It just amazed me that OA meetings were so much more efficient and effective than corporate meetings.” The reason? Our Second Tradition.
Meetings
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 Dodie: Compulsive Eater
Before OA, food ruled Dodie’s every waking moment, even from a very early age. In college, Dodie weighed 215 pounds (97.5 kg) and felt trapped in ugliness. When she realized she had a problem with food, she found OA, and now maintains a 85-pound (38.5-kg) weight loss.
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.
Interview with Mary: Compulsive Overeater
Mary joined OA after a visit to her mother made her significant weight gain an unavoidable topic of discussion. In OA, she was surprised to find people just like her, people who had exceptional problems with food. She was also surprised to see how serene and healthy these people were as a result of working the OA program.
Interview with AJ: Newcomer to OA
AJ joined OA when she became medically obese, which triggered worries about obesity-related illnesses in her family’s history. Today she is no longer obese, and with the help of other OA members, she is living in recovery from compulsive eating.
Group-Level Effort
“The longer I’m in program, the more I realize I don’t know what will work for anyone other than myself,” says one OA member. “I practice the Spiritual Principle of Tradition Eight: fellowship.”
Tradition Nine: Alive and Well
How do you know if Tradition Nine is being practiced in your group? One OA member offers a number of ways to tell.