i heart oa

Overeaters Anonymous is a truly wonderful tool and program for recovery from food issues. i had gone to some AA meetings when battling my issues with alchohol, so i knew the basic premise, but i just never felt like this group was for me. i have been in therapy for depression since last sept. and my therapist kept saying that you gain so much insight and support from a 12 step program. when i told her i didn't think i needed to be in AA anymore (its been a full year since my last drink) she said, take your pick - overeaters, shoppers, alanon, sex, just get yourself in one of those rooms! and she was right, oa has made all the difference.

what i get most from oa is hearing the stories of others out there like me - with thoughts of cakes and chocolate consuming their minds until there is little room for anything else! i thought i must be the only person who thinks about food like this, none of my friends seem to feel food is that big of a deal to them and noone i knew had eaten a container of cool whip! i feel so wonderful just knowing there is a place where i can share my potentially embarassing and private thoughts, feeligns and struggles with food.

i am currently the literature person at one of my meetings and i had to go in late today because of last minute work meeting. well i have never done well with changed plans and i thought for sure this meant i was gonna miss the meeting, fall through on my commitment and miss another day of the support i desperately need from being in that room. but after my work meeting ended, i decided that even though i had missed the first half of the oa meeting, i would go anyway. I have always had an all or nothing approach to life - but the idea that i should just work on doing what i can is such a relief. well needless to say noone gave me dirty looks coming in half way late (others even came in later) and i was able to still service the group by offering the oa literature to anyone who wanted it. these are the goals and progress that i focus on now. staying committed to recovery in everyday life - with last minute meetings, changes in plans, and anything else that i have used as an excuse to give in to the pressure to just eat it all away.

thank you oa!