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Lisa shares a few simple ways she carries the message to the still-suffering compulsive eater and healthcare professionals.
What does it mean to balance group autonomy and support for OA as a whole? “In my years in program,” says one OA member, ”I’ve seen several examples of group autonomy being liberating and energizing and also of it being taken too far.”
“When I first came to OA thirty-three years ago, I was a bundle of resentments, says Carrie. Today? “I can honestly say that I no longer have resentments . . . I marvel every day in this program how the Steps really work.”
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.
Gerri, an abstinent food addict and compulsive overeater, and Karen, abstinent compulsive overeater and food addict, host this workshop on Step Seven: “Humbly asked him to remove our shortcomings.”
Gloria, a compulsive overeater, and Gerri, an abstinent food addict and compulsive overeater, host this episode on Step Six: “Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”
Stephanie, a compulsive overeating, and Nancy, a gratefully recovering compulsive overeater, host this workshop on OA’s Fifth Step: “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”
Stephanie, an abstinent compulsive overeater, and Nancy, a gratefully recovering and abstinent compulsive eater, host this workshop on OA’s Fourth Step: “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”
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.
“No matter what walks of life the members come from, each is entitled to experience the fellowship our program offers,” says Anonymous, who showed up to their first OA meeting only wanting to be thin and for the emotional pain to stop and found themselves “loved and accepted as I was.”