At age 11, Paul started binge eating to cope with feelings of loneliness and boredom and that compulsive eating behavior stayed with him through adulthood. After Paul found OA, his life changed completely, and he has learned to turn his powerlessness over to his Higher Power in exchange for the gift of abstinence.
Childhood sexual abuse and family dynamics can drive someone to turn to food for comfort. Without a solution, these patterns can grow with us into adulthood, complicating relationships with romantic partners and with weight. As one member has discovered, however, a new and healthier sense of normalcy can be found in Overeaters Anonymous.
Karen, who has maintained a 210-pound (95-kg) weight loss for more than fifteen years, uses the Tools of Recovery to maintain her program just as diligently as she uses tools and resources for automobile maintenance to keep the first car she ever bought new in good running condition. The road in OA, she notes, is ”not always smooth and comfortable, but it is leading me to freedom” (For Today, p. 288).
“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.”
In 1993, I sneaked into my first OA meeting. My shame told me you were all just crazy fat people, even crazier and fatter than I was—what could you possibly do to help me? Twenty years later, my home group was reading “Rozanne’s Story” (Overeaters Anonymous, Third Edition, pp. 7–22), and it struck me that Rozanne was … Continued
After a heartfelt visit with a friend who shared unconditional love and understanding, I felt an undeniable grace that inspired me to break free from the grip of sugar addiction and commit to abstinence—one day at a time.
Before I’d ever heard of OA or its Principles and practices, my only desire was to lose weight. I was tired and bloated and felt ten years older than I was. God intervened and put the words “Maybe you could try Overeaters Anonymous?” upon the lips of a good friend. I went to a meeting and immediately felt at … Continued
From the brink of death at 534 pounds to a miraculous recovery through Overeaters Anonymous, Carrie recounts how her journey of faith, support, and the Twelve Steps transformed her life, health, and spirit.
Throughout my entire spiritual journey through the Twelve Steps, no Step guaranteed me freedom from the obsession to eat compulsively as much as the Twelfth Step did. Every Step I took brought me closer to my Higher Power, but I never felt true peace of mind until I began taking other compulsive eaters through the Steps. … Continued
Before, I was ready to explode at any time, but now it seems that without excess food and junk food, space has opened for me to think calmly and either solve things with more serenity or . . . really deliver it to a Higher Power. I’ve reached my twenty-ninth day of abstinence. Tomorrow will … Continued