Recovery Book Reports

BEYOND OUR WILDEST DREAMS

A HISTORY OF OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS AS SEEN BY COFOUNDER ROZANNE S.

Rozanne sat alone watching T.V. one night in 1958. She was using food to fill the emptiness again. A talk show came on featuring Gamblers Anonymous. Rozanne the world -saver listened for a friend as he had the problem. The next night she took him to the closest meeting. As Rozanne listened, she identified herself as needing help, realizing she was sick from overeating food just as her friend was sick with gambling. The idea for Overeaters Anonymous was born.

Rozanne struggled alone with her weight until late 1959 then went back to G.A. for herself. She listened and it strengthened her plans for a support group for overeaters. She talked to friends and on January 19, 1960 three ladies met for the first O.A. meeting. They used a modified version of A.A.’s steps, talked about their weight struggles, diets, and how food was a symptom of deeper problems.

O.A. struggled with one small group of women for months with the help of G.A. and A.A.. until seven brave members spoke on the Paul Coates talk show on Nov 1, 1960. The show was seen in L.A. and 5 other U.S. locations. Letters soon poured in wanting info on how to start and join O.A. groups. O.A. was on its way to spreading all over the world.

O.A. grew rapidly especially after a letter appeared in Ann Landers praising O.A. in 1965. Over 7000 compulsive overeaters wrote to O.A. wanting help. By May 1987 more than seven thousand groups were meeting around the world. Today their are over ten thousand. Rozanne’s dream of support groups for people suffering with overeating had come true beyond her wildest dream.

Growing pains threatened to pull O.A. apart many times, issues such as male membership, food plans, spirituality, abstinence and rewriting A.A.’s 12 steps for O.A. challenged our trusted servants. But our common goals of recovery always kept O.A. together.

Rozanne wrote in 1960 “Overeaters Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who meet to share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from the self-destruction of compulsive overeating.” These words still bond us today.

Beyond Our Wildest Dreams is the most recent book published by World Service in 1996. Reading it has helped me truly understand I am not alone in my recovery from compulsive overeating and for many years O.A. has opened it’s doors to me and a multitude of others.   ....Diane

“ Alcoholics Anonymous”

Affectionately known to members of the recovery community as “The Big Book”, ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS was first published in 1939. It was the combined work of about fifty of the early members of A.A..

The volume itself and the 12 Steps it contains have become the treatment of choice for folks recovering from a vast array of addictions, including alcohol, drugs, the adrenalin addictions of sex and gambling, our own food and sugar addictions and various eating maladies.

To my knowledge, OA was the fourth organization authorized to use the 12 steps and regularly uses the Big Book, as well as other AA literature, in our meetings and as a guide to personal recovery.

Author Keith Miller, calls the 12 Steps, “A way of spiritual healing that may well be the most important spiritual model of any age”. The disease concept of addiction seems to remove any moral dimension from that compulsion, thereby making recovery from it a far simpler step by step matter.

Humorously, I recently had an opportunity to chat with a former AA literature representative from a neighboring sister city. I informed him that I was member of OA and that we also utilized the Big Book in our meetings. He said that he had sold so many Big Books to OA members in his community that he had, on occasion, actually wondered if we were eating them.

“ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS” is in its eighth printing and currently sells over one million copies a year. From time to time the personal stories portion of the book is updated to “ more accurately reflect the current membership”. It is available in hard cover, a small print soft cover and an easy to read, large print format. It is also printed in several languages.

Anyone may procure a copy at any AA Central Office or self help book store. While it usually sells for under ten dollars ( at AA Offices), it is worth an untold fortune to any recovering individual on their daily recovery journey.

Dean B. “Tool Time” OA Group

THE TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS OF OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS BOOK

The entire panorama of the OA recovery program in this comprehensive work provides a detailed, often moving exploration of how OA’s Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions help members recover and how the Fellowship functions as a whole. Questions after each Tradition are designed to help strengthen your meeting. Softcover , 240 pages

THE TWELVE-STEP WORKBOOK OF OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS

Deepen and strengthen your personal program by answering these thought provoking questions drawn from and page referenced to THE TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS OF OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS.  128 pages

FOR TODAY

‘THE LITTLE WHITE BOOK’

THE LITTLE BOOK WITH BIG IDEAS. FOR TODAY SERVES BOTH THE NON RELIGIOUS AND THE RELIGIOUS, BY SIGHTING PASSAGES FROM PLATO AND SOCRATES. IT SOOTHES THE SOULS OF THE COMPULSIVE OVEREATER WITH WORDS OF PROFOUND INSIGHTS BY SUCH WRITERS AS EMILY DICKENS AND SHAKESPEARE. THE LITERATURE HELPS US TAKE SOLACE AND FIND RELIEF FROM WHAT EVER THE ADDICTION .

THOSE SEEKING TO MAKE SENSE OF THE 12 STEPS HAVE ONLY TO LOOK IN THE APPENDIX FOR PAGE REFERENCES TO MAKE IT EASIER TO FIND TIDBITS TO LEAD MEETINGS, ON A FEELING, A TRADITION, OR A STEP. FOR TODAY IS A REAL GEM AND AN EXCELLENT ASSISTANT.

“WHATEVER OUR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OR NON RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, SPIRITUAL RECOVERY IS FELT AS A PROFOUND INNER CHANGE; A DISSOLVING OF THE ATTITUDES AND OPINIONS THAT KEEP US CHAINED TO COMPULSIONS.” [FOR TODAY P 348]. FOR TODAY IS EASY READING, EASY TO CARRY AND EASY LISTENING IF SOMEONE ELSE IS DOING THE READING.

BY EVANGELINE

ABSTINENCE

1- TITLE - ABSTINENCE

2- AUTHOR - MEMBERS OF OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS

3- PUBLISHED BY - OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS, INC. , FIRST PRINTING

4- SUBJECTS COVERED

This book is a collection of stories and essays on the topic of ABSTINENCE . All were written by members of Overeaters Anonymous and were published between 1989 and 1993 in Lifeline. The individual writers did not intend to give a definitive or ideological answer to the question about abstinence, but rather it represents many different examples of experience, strength and hope.

The stories in this book are categorized under 8 different headings as follows

a- The Meaning of Abstinence

b- Practical Ways to Achieve Abstinence

c- The Search for Abstinence

d- Abstinence a Priority

e- Abstinence and the Tools

f- Abstinent Living

g- How Abstinence Changes with Time and Experience

h- What Abstinence has Taught Me.

5- MY OPINION

It’s a great book!! What this book taught me is it doesn’t matter if you are a long timer with many years of Abstinence, a member struggling with recovery or relapse, or a Newcomer to whom the subject of Abstinence may be a mystery, you will find encouragement, help and direction from reading this book. Also because all the stories are one to two pages in length it makes for easy, quick reading.

6- MY CONCLUSION

Very simply buy this book or borrow it from the library. If you were to read this book once a year for the rest of your life, you will be a better person for it. You can buy this book from Central Literature in Regina on Cameron Str.. For about $16.95. But first check with one of the meetings such as Wednesday A.M. for a copy or order one from World Service. MAY WE ALL HAVE GOOD ABSTINENCE!!

DARRELL