Twelve Steps Archives

I Used Food to Outrun the Pain of My Childhood Sexual Abuse. But I’ve Found Empowerment in Overeaters Anonymous, and Now There’s No Need to Run

The sexual abuse that Blanca suffered as a child led her to gain weight in an attempt to make herself less attractive, and led later to multiple suicide attempts. Thankfully, her desperate attempts to outrun her pain were soothed and solved in Overeaters Anonymous. “My practice of the Twelve Steps leaves me with some very empowering ways of seeing life,” she says. “My smiles . . . . are coming from a place of inner peace, confidence, and happiness.

I Had Successful Weight-Loss Surgery, but It Was OA’s Twelve Steps That Transformed My Life

Even after weight-loss surgery, Kaveh from Tehran, Iran, discovered that he could not overcome the feelings of inadequacy that had led him to overeat. He tried books and therapy, but ultimately found emotional recovery in OA. Working all Twelve Steps, Kaveh learned to “heal the overeater not only physically but emotionally and spiritually.”

I Am One of Many: Food Is the Connection, but It Is Not the Answer

Deborah has endured jail, marital separation, and cancer, but today she shines with recovery. “I am now claiming six years of abstinence,” she says. “Y’all have taught me life is fun, but my meals can’t be fun. . . . It’s worth all the daily discipline for freedom from food obsession.”

I Have Found Contentment and Freedom While Working the Steps

Even with two relapses, Christine has found that life in the OA program is immeasurably better than life before OA. “Abstinence is the most important thing in my life,” she says.

A Child of War, A Joyful Recovery From Compulsive Overeating

Sam grew up in a time of war, when food scarcity was a real issue. When the war ended, Sam’s scarcity mentality and trauma did not . . . until he heard about OA. “It changed my life forever,” he says.

What OA Has Done for Me

Mindy shares how Overeaters Anonymous transformed her life through surrendering to her Higher Power, working the Twelve Steps, and embracing a supportive community, leading to profound physical, emotional, and spiritual growth.

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.”

Clear Intentions: My OA Program Success as an Agnostic

Mercy F. once believed in a Higher Power but is now agnostic. She has found success in OA even when working with those who believe in God or Higher Power as an entity. “We don’t argue about it,” she says. “We bond over working the Steps, using the Tools, and following Good Orderly Direction.”

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.

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