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.
“An Atheist’s Prayer calls for strength in letting go of self-will, surrendering to the guidance of the program, and cultivating gratitude, growth, and serenity.”
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.”
In Port of Cell, the author reflects on her evolving spiritual journey in OA, discovering that understanding God isn’t necessary to experience His love and guidance.
“In a moment of surrender, without truly believing in a Higher Power, I experienced a profound intervention that kept me abstinent and began to crumble the walls I had built around me.”
In Knock, Knock, Valerie G. reflects on her journey in Overeaters Anonymous, where a pivotal moment of openness to the concept of a Higher Power sparked a reexamination of her beliefs and a shift in her spiritual journey.
n Overeaters Anonymous, I found a community that taught me to believe in a power greater than myself—not through God, but through the fellowship and support of others who understand the journey.
In “Something Like Physics,” Mercy F. shares her journey in Overeaters Anonymous as an atheist who finds strength in spiritual practices without a traditional Higher Power, embracing instead the principles of Good Orderly Direction and “doing the next right thing.”
“As an atheist with a spiritual life, I’ve learned to embrace acceptance and the diverse spiritual paths within Overeaters Anonymous, choosing practices from various traditions that help me live in harmony without imposing one ‘right’ way to believe.”
“The speaker’s words, ‘I lost a whole person,’ struck me deeply, pushing me to finally confront my own struggles with food and find a path to lasting recovery through OA.”