Willingness

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.

Willing to Dig Deeper

“I’m excited to say that I’m the winner now for sure because I can choose how to respond to my disease, and I do that willingly now. I choose what I will eat, when, where, why, and how, and I make those decisions with a clear mind, not one that’s in a perpetual sugar fog,” says Jean from Ontario. Sounds so amazing! How did she do it?

Higher Power Company

“Dear Mara:” the letter reads, “We are so glad you have chosen Higher Power Company as your new source of love, support, and guidance!” Written for the OA member who is taking Steps Two and Three, this might be the best corporate form letter you’ll ever receive!

Letting Go of Perfectionism

“I used perfectionism as an excuse for not doing the next right thing,” says Amy. ”If I waited to be ‘struck abstinent,’ I’d be dead and buried in a piano box.” Instead she has turned stubbornness into perseverance, worked her program imperfectly, and is maintaining a 200-pound (91-kg) weight loss.

Peaceful and Serene

“I knew I had huge self-will…” says one member who came in broken after trying to work the program her own way. But she was also desperate and willing, and her willingness led to progress, and her progress eventually, and inevitably, led her to her dream of “a peaceful and serene life.”

Step Nine: “The Importance of Working All Twelve Steps” Podcast Series

Tina, a recovering compulsive overeater, and Gloria, a compulsive overeater and food addict, host this workshop on Step Nine: “Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.” They give specific examples to show what making amends can look like in different situations.

Step Eight: “The Importance of Working All Twelve Steps” Podcast Series

Ronnie, a compulsive overeater, and Tina, a recovering compulsive overeater, host this workshop on Step Eight: “Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.” For Ronnie, the accountability of Step Eight is what differentiates the OA program from talk therapy.

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