Before I found OA, food was my answer to everything and anything. If I had a problem, I would eat. Uncomfortable feelings meant more food. After spending time in OA, I came to believe and accept that food is an ineffective means of coping. Using food to cope is no longer an option for me. Now, I eat to live, rather than live to eat.
Through OA, I found my path to my Higher Power. I presently find comfort in the Serenity Prayer and all that it means. I no longer need food to comfort me. When my husband was diagnosed with cancer, using food was not an option. When I was laid off from my job after eleven years, food was not an option. When we declared bankruptcy, food was not an option.
Today, I have many healthy options and choices. I have my relationship with my Higher Power. I have a terrific sponsor. I use the nine Tools of Recovery. I have the OA Steps and Traditions to guide me. I have spiritual, emotional, and physical recovery. My abstinence is a daily blessing.
I have been released from the bondage of food. A whole new world is open to me, when I simply remember that food is not an option for dealing with the everyday trials and tribulations of life.
— Mary Ann B.
Source: © Overeaters Anonymous – Edited and reprinted from OA Lifeline
