Personal Stories and Sharing

HEART OF GOLD

When I first started out in the Program I was really trying to adhere to a food plan and I had asked Marion from Wed AM meeting to sponsor me. She agreed. Shortly after that I moved to a small town in another province, a place with no OA meetings. A few weeks after leaving I received a fairly large yellow envelope at my new address. Inside were numerous pages of hand-copied material that Marion thought would be beneficial to my recovery.

The kindness and effort Marion showed me, a virtual stranger, touched my heart in a profound way. She gave me faith in the goodness of people.....Anon

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No More Secrets

The most significant thing that happened to me in OA is that I’ve learned I’m not alone and I don’t have to “do it alone”.

When I first came to OA I met people who, like me, had eaten stuff out of the garbage, stolen food, lied about food, lied to others to get food - I was not alone. When I realized there were others who had done the same things, it was easier to accept myself.

I realized I could talk to someone about the binges I’d had and they would understand I was not alone. I didn’t have to keep it all a secret anymore.

Today, I am not alone and don’t have to be. I can choose to talk to someone now instead of keeping secrets.

I tend to want to isolate and not talk to people. OA keeps reminding me that I NEED to talk to people. The more secrets I have the sicker I am and the worse I feel.

I use to feel that I had to solve all my problems by myself. OA is continually teaching me that I have to ask for help. ....Anon

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Special Closure

My first very special moment was my first moment. It was at the ‘Dick Workshop’! This person very clearly explained each Step and shared himself in a way that was very inspirational. I am very grateful for this opportunity. When I did my Step 4 we took it to the Retreat House to burn what we had written. I thought the drive would be nice and maybe a way to make closure more meaningful. It was all that and more. Making the unusual effort of symbolizing the cleansing of my life left an impact that made the whole process alive. Rachel

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OA CHANGED MY LIFE

Something I’ve learned through OA that has changed my life:

-- to be aware of what feelings I’m dealing with when I’m getting an eating urge, when its not mealtime or when I’m not hungry.

-- dealing with those feelings in an appropriate manner such as talking to a fellow program member or reading some program literature. Anon.

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My Name Is Marie

I’m a newcomer. But I found one person very caring and that has kept me coming back to meetings.

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Help Offered & Accepted

I was feeling down in the dumps and a member of OA phoned me. It was very nice, someone was thinking of me and she wanted some suggestions of mine on how to handle a certain problem. Its a nice feeling to be thought of and I hope I helped her in some way, as she helped me. Thank-you OA. Anon.

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THANK-YOU

I am Gloria and a compulsive overeater who joined the Wed. Morning group of OA Mar 10/93. I just want to say “Thank-you” to my God and to all of you for the wonderful spiritual, physical, emotional healing, growth and recovery I have received since I joined this beautiful twelve step program. May the peace and serenity of God be with all of you as he is with me!!.

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Great Words

I heard “ Today is the first day of the rest of your life”. That little idea comes back again and again giving me renewed hope. As often as I fall into the soup [ off my eating plan] that little phrase sings in my soul and I just start my eating plan again. Evangeline

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Hope Again

Coming back to OA has meant the world to me. Seeing people who care and share has made me feel at home and helped me realize that there is still hope for me and I can get better. Thank-you OA. Marion S. -------------------------------------

Baby Steps

I have many special memories about OA. They are all important to me. Probably the first one that stands out is the first time I scrunched up enough courage to phone my sponsor with my food plan and actually told someone what I was going to eat that day. Wow, was that difficult! It was also the first time I was able to reach out on a long term basis.

Other memories that are mile stones are the times I’ve spent with people that I sponsor learning to know them a bit better, being able to encourage them and watching them take their first “baby” Steps in changing something in their life. It is very rewarding. I’ve made some very great friends that way.... Dean

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Uncharted Paths

I am attending OA meetings because of a caring friend. It was drawn to my attention that I needed to take a step to help me help myself. So my thoughts are again traveling in uncharted paths and I am learning healthier ways to deal with my addiction to food. I am not finding it easy but I persevere ! Anon

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Alone No More

One of the most special moments that I experienced in OA was the day I realized that all 12 Steps and all 12 Traditions were written in the third person. “I” may have a problem but “we” have a solution. Before I came to OA, I thought I was the only one with this problem, but I realized

“ we” were not alone. Rachel

Turning Point

Last year at the 97 workshop in May, a group of us went out for supper. I was craving exceptionally badly, but didn’t talk to anyone about it and just limited myself to a normal amount of food at supper. I had only been in the program about a month at the time. It was very painful for me not to binge at that meal and I was near tears as the workshop resumed. Finally when the facilitator asked people to share, I talked about what I was feeling and how painful I found it to give up food. After the workshop ended, I went to the store and bought a big bag of chips, chip dip, pop and 2 chocolate bars. I started in on my binge and got about halfway through when it struck me that me ’this was not what I wanted and that if I just kept sharing and turning things over, I didn’t have to live this way.’ I threw away the rest of the food!! Anon.

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Thanks OA.

Rose - I met her at my first meeting. Rose and others welcomed me. But Rose, you said ’you had lost weight and this was a good grogram to accomplish this in’. That statement helped me accept the fact this was a good spot for me. It was much more than the words said. It was the way you said it. Thanks Rose!

Dean - Made me understand

1- Sugar

2- Commitment to a Food Plan

3- How to deal with daily problems and successes in my LIFE.

Thanks Dean!

Big time thanks to my spouse and the person who steered me to OA. Also all out of town meetings. Darrell

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Friends

I have many beautiful memories of OA. One day I was having a really bad day with something in my family. An OA friend phoned and could tell I was in a bad way. We talked for awhile and said good-bye. About a half an hour later there was a knock on the door. It was my OA friend. Thank- you God and OA. Marion C.

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STEP TWELVE

HAVING HAD A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING AS THE RESULTS OF THESE STEPS, WE TRIED TO CARRY THIS MESSAGE TO COMPULSIVE OVEREATERS, AND PRACTICE THESE PRINCIPLES IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS.

- Nothing will guarantee our abstinence so much as working with others. We must give away what we found in order to keep it.

- The message can be carried anytime, anywhere, at meetings, in the street, in all ways, a hug, a moment of kindness and courage.

- There have been many moments that God has manifested power to me, sometimes with feeling and sometimes with events in my life. Becoming aware has given me the courage to gradually face the dilemma of being out of control, and the courage to trust whatever God’s plan is for me.

- OA has opened my heart to a Higher Power and a growing sense of spirituality. My life was empty, my heart was empty until I listened, and learned then began to believe in my own Higher Power.

- I keep coming to meetings and try to practice the principles by aiming at, near, below, above, or around the Tools. It has helped or maybe I should say it would be so much worse if I didn’t aim at the principles.

From O.A. Regina

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I’VE LEARNED IN OA...IT’S HARD TO PICK ONE!

One of the main things I’ve learned and continue to learn is to accept myself just exactly as I am. I’m always looking to change something, correct something or deny something about myself and I always run into a brick wall. The harder I try the more difficult the problem gets. The first part of change for me is acceptance of exactly how I am and God can’t change it if I can’t see it. I need to accept & love myself before I can do anything for myself. Vivian R.

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I’ve learned in OA to keep on coming back and shut up and listen and turn it over to my HP. Oh, I keep telling myself “except for the grace of God”, it could be so much worse and it was before Overeaters Anonymous. Evangeline G.

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The most important thing I have learned in OA was that “it wasn’t my fault.” I have a disease, the disease of compulsive overeating. I didn’t ask for this disease any more than I would ask for cancer, diabetes, MS or any other disease. I am not weak willed, lack willpower, defective or bad because I cannot by myself stop compulsive eating. The only way I can be in recovery from this disease is by the help of my Higher Power through the Steps, Traditions and Tools.

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