We spoke with the founder of the OA Foot Steps Anorexic/Bulimic Service Board to explore her
recovery story, what inspired her to create space for others like her, and how she continues to
show up in service.
Finding Freedom: One Member’s Journey Through Recovery,
Service, and Self-Acceptance
Q: What is your story, in short, with compulsive eating or compulsive food behaviors?
A: I got sober when I was 17, but I still smoked, and I often say I was a “smoking anorexic.” I
smoked away a lot of things, including the urge to eat. I used cigarettes to suppress hunger and
emotions, and while others were concerned about my weight, it didn’t feel like a problem until I
quit smoking. That’s when I shifted into classic compulsive eating.
I’ve worked the steps for years, but real healing around food didn’t begin until I got serious about
OA. Eventually, I no longer wanted to use compulsive eating as an escape, no matter what. I’m
a COVID baby. My abstinence date is April 1, 2020. During lockdown, I couldn’t hide behind my
usual ways of managing food, like staying away from the kitchen during the week and eating
compulsively on the weekend. That’s when everything changed.
Q: Was there a moment you realized OA could truly be a space for you?
A: Yes. We were reading the book “Abstinence” in a meeting, and it talked about “three meals a
day and life in between.” Something clicked. That kind of gentle structure felt possible. I’d been
in and out of OA since the ’80s but was often met with rigid food plans I couldn’t follow. I didn’t
expect to feel at home this time, but that simple phrase gave me hope. And here I am.
Q: What has been the biggest challenge in recovery so far?
A: Letting go of what I’d call exercise bulimia, the belief that I had to punish myself with movement.
It’s been a slow process, especially as I’ve aged and my body’s changed. I’m in Albuquerque
now at high elevation, with a heart condition, and I just can’t move the way I used to. I’m
learning to let that be okay. To just breathe and be.
Q: What inspired you to create the Anorexic and Bulimic Service Board?
A: I was at the 2024 World Service Business Conference, where they talked about different kinds
of service boards. I realized, “Wait, there isn’t one for anorexics and bulimics? That can’t be.” So, I made a note on the bulletin board, emailed everyone I could think of, and we formed a team.
That’s how it began.
Q: What keeps you going after all these years in service?
A: It feels good. Before the 12 steps, my way of life was about getting what I could get away with.
That mindset left me lonely and isolated. Service has connected me to a sense of community
that’s real. I don’t feel like a problem or an outsider anymore.
Q: How has service supported your recovery?
A: Service is how I feel part of the human race. I’ve learned over the years: show up early, put out
the chairs, look for how you can help. When I participate, I feel a sense of belonging, not
obligation. And that makes all the difference.
Q: What inspires you about people?
A: About people? That they’re not me.
Q: What’s been the most satisfying part of founding this service board?
A: That others have taken it up. It’s not my baby anymore, and that’s how I know I’ve done
something right. Eventually, no one will even remember I started it, and that’s the heart of
service in OA. It belongs to all of us.
Q: What’s one action you’d recommend to someone struggling with compulsive eating
today?
A: When you’re tempted to eat yourself to sleep, grab the Big Book and take it to bed instead.
Q: Have you ever felt misunderstood or isolated in OA? How did you work through it?
A: Yes. Feeling misunderstood is part of my disease. If I’m not actively working my program, that
feeling creeps back in. When I do the work, that isolation eases.
Q: What would you say to someone with anorexia or bulimia who feels they don’t fit in OA?
A: Come to an AB-focused meeting. You’ll see how expansive compulsive eating really is. And
you’ll probably find someone a lot like you.
Q: How has OA changed your relationship with your body?
A: I care for my body the way I care for my country. It may not be perfect, but it’s mine. This is the
body God gave me, and I want to be loving to it. That phrasing matters. “Loving my body” can
sound cosmetic. Like saying “I love your shirt.” But being loving to my body means something
deeper. It’s an active relationship.
Q: What does recovery mean to you today?
A: Recovery means turning my life and will over to the care of God, first thing in the morning and
whenever I catch myself ruminating. It reminds me that I don’t have to be in charge, and I don’t
know what should happen. And at the end of the day? I brush my teeth, thank God, and go to
sleep. That’s part of my program, too.
Q: Any final thoughts you’d like to share?
A: Yes. Please come join us on the Service Board. We’re working on some deeply important
motions. One big concern: the World Service Board’s current policy discourages members
under 18 from attending OA meetings. We believe that’s harmful, especially for anorexia and
bulimia, which often begin early and carry real physical risks.
We’re preparing motions to challenge that policy. No other 12-step program has taken this
stance, and we believe we can do better. There are young people out there who need help now.
We shouldn’t close the door just to protect ourselves legally. So yes, I’ll get off my soapbox now,
but I hope you’ll join us.
©2026 Experience Strength & Hope Newsletter,
All rights reserved. Proudly sponsored by OA Foot Steps VIG #09670.
Did you enjoy this article? We would encourage our members to use this post, and others like it, at their meetings, or for private reflection. We also encourage you to share this post to other fellows to help the compulsive eater who still suffers. Please let us know if you have an idea for an article or an upcoming theme, or have any questions or suggestions. Email our editorial staff at [email protected].
The experience, strength, and hope expressed in this article, reflect the individual OA members and does not represent OA as a whole. Other OA groups and service bodies are welcome to reprint articles from Experience, Strength & Hope Newsletter without permission. When reprinting from other OA newsletters, be sure to credit the source.
