My Fourth Step Support Animal
Have you ever asked yourself, “Why is this pet, or this person, in my life right now?” One of the joys of recovery is realizing there’s a reason.
Relationships
I Stand Aside from My Discomforts to Stand Inside Wisdom
“Joy comes in finding the good, even in the bad. Not only would I rather find joy, I am also assured that Higher Power would want this for me also.”
A Disease of the Mind (Overeaters Anonymous, Third Edition, Appendix B)
A medical doctor asserts that compulsive eating is a disease that precedes other chronic disorders. The disease can be successfully treated by applying treatment principles similar to those used for alcoholism.
My Steps to Sanity with Food
Taking an anniversary cruise while carrying 300 pounds (136 kg) of body weight left Elizabeth feeling despondent and suicidal. When she joined OA, her weight loss journey began. But her greatest progress so far has been working the Steps to covering and recover from the dysfunctions that have been driving her compulsive overeating.
Last House on the Block
“Many of us come to OA feeling like this is the ‘last house on the block,’” Andrea writes. ”Thank God we find acceptance and understanding in OA.” Read about Andrea’s journey through food obsession, recovery, relapse, and finding serenity in our program.
More Loving Friendships
From only a few relationships driven by selfishness, fear, and people pleasing to an abundance of healthy friendships—an incredible change made possible by working the Steps.
My New Normal
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.
Step Ten: “The Importance of Working All Twelve Steps” Podcast Series
Linda, a compulsive eater, and Karen, abstinent compulsive eater and food addict, host this workshop on Step Ten: “Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.”
Loving Amends
John hated his grandmother for the way she treated him as a kid. And he ate over it. But by working Steps Eight and Nine and by doing a “forgiveness inventory,” he got to the bottom of it and was able to forgive. “This program is amazing,” he writes.
A Possible and Promising Step
The list of amends to make in Step Nine may be long, but it is guaranteed to be finite. Even in a difficult Ninth Step, the promises still come true! “And,” this writer reports, ”I am able to stay abstinent . . . one day at a time!”