New to OA

[fortoday]

I want to open a forum for those of us who recognize that we are addicted to food - and that we are unable to manage it ourselves. It took me a surprisingly long time to come to this recognition - and now that I have, it seems soooo obvious.

Prior to entering a 12 step program for food, I thought about food throughout most days. I obsessed about how I could find ways to eat things I wanted without gaining too much weight. I NEVER wanted a moderate size portion of my favorites - especially sugar foods.

My sugar consumption increased after I stopped drinking alcohol - possibly substituting sugar in one form for another.

Anyhow - I need to meet people who have had success in working the 12 steps with food. Please write. Thank you!!

[Nina Kay]

fortoday,
I want to Welcome you to the Eating Disorders Forum and to SR, in general. I can appreciate how you feel about OA. I have been a member of OA during short intervals and because of extenuating circumstances am no longer able to get to any meetings. I was seeing a big difference in myself when I attended meetings and read the literature regularly.

I know that there are others here also who have seemed to trade their alcohol addiction for a sugar or all out food addiction. I think that we who have addictive personality disorder, will always tend to trade one addiction for another. It makes us realize that we really do need to deal with our down deep issues instead of focusing completely on our particular addiction, which is really just a symptom of a much bigger problem.

I hope that you'll keep coming back here to read & to post as you will recieve much support and understanding here, not to mention all of the information from the Stickys at the top of the page. Glad you're here.

[Pony]

Welcome fortoday to this forum. I also have dual addiction of alcohol and food. I have traded one for the other throughout my life and have learned that the need for dealing with the unlining issues is the only way to recovery. I don't attend OA meeting regularly, I have attended some and AA/NA, but I do incorporate the 12-steps into my program. I have found some online OA meetings through the OA site, and they have been pretty helpful. Finding a sponsor that has delt with multi-addictions can be helpful also.

Looking forward to hearing more from you. Again, welcome