OA invites DIVERSITY and promotes UNITY. In this episode, one OA member describes a vicious cycle of eating and exercising coupled with low self-esteem and the changes that came with OA recovery.
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.
What does someone with life-threatening anorexia have in common with a “garden variety” compulsive overeater? Would you believe they are: problems with stepping on the scale, issues with body image, and similar approaches to plans of eating? Read and find out why!
In this story, two OA members share their paths to recovery. One is marked by the significant decision to change sponsors. The other, trying different meetings until landing upon the right specific-focus meeting. Says one of the members, “Thank you, OA, for embracing and encouraging diversity. No matter where I am in my recovery process, my needs are met.”
Part of a Unity with Diversity series of stories from the February 2018 Lifeline, OA members Heidi and Lynda demonstrate how the diverse paths of a) coming back to meetings regardless and b) avoiding OA altogether for 30 years can both lead us (eventually) to unity and recovery.
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.”
“Spirituality, for me, is found in the transcendent connections with others—a sacred fellowship that nurtures, fulfills, and transforms, as beautifully experienced within OA meetings.”