Only through Anonymity
When I first came into Overeaters Anonymous, I quickly learned to respect anonymity: who I saw, who said what—none of that was mine to share with anyone.
Readings
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!”
The Underwear Amends
Sherril didn’t see why all the fuss about self-amends. Then one day, while they were doing laundry, her daughter remarked that Sherril’s underwear belonged in the trash.
Awesome Silver Linings
OA’s Ninth Tradition shone brightly during the pandemic when local service bodies suddenly found themselves serving OA members from around the world.
Ready or Not
At Step Nine, Fiona has to come to terms with apologizing to her mom. “Whether she apologizes is irrelevant,” she says. “I need to clear my side of the street.”
Stepping Into a Vocation
Alan’s grandmother helped raise him, but later, Alan couldn’t bring himself to visit her in the nursing home. Working Step Nine, found a way to make a living amends and find a new passion for public health.
Start With Forgiveness
“I need to forgive myself for my addiction,” says Anonymous. Thankfully, we can all share in this very powerful part of Step Nine.
Non-Readers Among Us
Literature is one of our nine Tools of Recovery, but what if an OA member struggles with literacy? Here are suggestions to support these members in their recovery.
Three Words: I Am Alive
Jo used to steal food from the plates of hospital patients and eat their leftovers. Working the OA program, allowed him to come clean in Step Nine and find a new way of living.