If I binge and purge can I attend OA?

[jerect]

I'm a long time poster on SR but this is my first time posting on the ED board...

My life is out of control... I'm in ED hell and I'm not sure what to do about it..

Ever since High School (I'm in my mid 30's now) I have binged and purged, exercised compulsively and gone on extreme diets to where I counted every calorie that went into my mouth and weighed every morsel of food that I put on my plate.. I have been a slave to the scale, both food scales and weight scales.. I have gone to the other extremes, where I am now, binge and binge and binge on large amounts of food and then I purge... afterwords promising myself that this was the last time I would do this to myself... only to turn around and do it again the next day..

I have justified my behavior in so many ways but know in my heart that each time i justify this to myself and to my family that I'm only lying to myself..

Over the years I have talked to counslers about my ED, read countless self help books, gone on anti depressents, and still I'm a prisoner in my own body.

I first came to SR because my husband was a drug addict and I was on this mission to do whatever it took to get him clean..... of course, it doesn't work that way because he was the only person that could get him clean.. I was not God, I was not in control and through SR and some of the wonderful people on this board I have learned to stay out of his way and out of his program..

Before I came to SR I had heard the term codependency but never associated that word with who I was... but from reading, posting and sharing, I have discovered that I am the poster child for codependency and that probably a lot of my ED's are the result of being codependent..

So this is where I am today... I need help.. I attend alanon and open NA meetings and they have helped me tremendously in coping with my husbands addiction to drugs...however, I have learned that I am just as sick and addicted as he is only to a different substance...

Looking online, I have found a few OA meetings in my area that i'm thinking of attending... however, I don't quite understand what OA is... I would not classify myself as an overeater even though I binge and purge, because there are times when I severely under eat and exercise a couple of hours at at a time on any given day..

I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions of a 12 step group, FTF or online that could help me...

Thanks

[DesertEyes]

Hello there jerect, and pleased to "meet" you

Originally Posted by jerect

... If I binge and purge can I attend OA?...

Absolutely _yes_ !!!!

First off, I am not a member of OA. What I am going to share with you comes from my exprience living with a woman who binge and purges and is a compulsive over-exerciser. Her story sound so much like yours that you could be twins

OA started out much like al-anon, focusing on just one type of addiction. Over the years they have realized that there is much more to addiction than just _one_ chemical. OA welcomes anybody who has an addiction to food, in any of it's many manifestations.

The groups here in town are extremely welcoming, to the point that I have been invited to attend meets and functions that are listed in their directory as "closed". Since there is no "OA-anon" around here for me to attend, they went and had several "group consciences" just for me, so I could learn about the disease and be supportive of my lady.

Originally Posted by jerect

...I don't quite understand what OA is...

OA is a 12 step group that focuses on helping individuals survive and overcome their compulsions around food and body image. They use the same 12 steps as all the other groups, adapted to their particular needs.

Originally Posted by jerect

... I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions of a 12 step group, FTF or online that could help me...

Try here

SFWED Remember It Hurts Community - Powered by vBulletin

I've been hanging out in the Friends and Family section for a couple years now and I _love_ those people. I think you will to.

Your profile says you are in Georgia, give me a day or two to make some phone calls and I'll see what I can find in the way of F2F meets.

Mike

[Nina Kay]

Welcome jerect. I'm glad that you've found us here at the Eating Disorders Forum of SR. There are many here, as you probably already know that have alot of the same ED issues that you have. I'm happy that DesertEyes has answered your questions and is trying to help you to get started in recovery. I hope that you'll keep coming back here to share and to update us on your progress.

[roxiestone]

Welcome.

I consider myself an ED individual - pretty much everything at one time or another. It started in my teens and I'm now 48. I only NOW feel like I'm truly getting to the bottom of the disorder - which I believe, for ME, is in my codependence and the feelings that I sought to either surpress or enhance with food.

Please continue to come back and post. There are a wonderful group of people here on these boards.

Peace to you.

[jerect]

Thanks for everyone's support.. Everyday is a struggle but I can only take one day at a time

[Done_With_It]

Well the Man pretty much said it all, : ] also they often will have specific Anorexia/Bulimia Meetings.

This link has a lot of info. also.
Overeaters Anonymous at WEGO Health

[DesertEyes]

Here's where to find OA meets

https://www.oa.org/meetings/

you'll have to put in your zip code because there's tons of meetings.

I heard back from several people that the Saturday 9AM meeting in Decatur, GA totally rocks. Dunno if that's anywhere near you or not. Call 404-918-7445 for directions and ask for Lisa, and yes, that phone number is ok to post on the internet. I checked

Mike

[Cathy31]

Welcome and well done on looking for help...I could really relate to your story. Like you I've had to look at my codependence (I am also a recovering alcoholic) and when I first gave up drinking I would binge - I liked to dress it up as a 'treat' but it would be a binge basically - a tray of cupcakes, a whole big slab chocolate etc. What do you know it progressed and it is hell. At the moment I'm pulling myself out of the latest week long binge a day - no purging - but you can imagine it is playing havoc with my looks, energy etc!! Thank God for OA I am going to add it as a priority - it's 12 step and 12 step works as does Face to Face IMHO - so I hope you'll give it a try!!!I know from my alcoholism (I thought I was one of hte hopeless cases) that if THAT can be arrested through the Grace of God and programmes of AA and NA, then so can this!
Onward we go!
Cathy31
x

[pinkgurl87]

good luck with your struggle hun I know it's hard I've delt with an eating disorder before too and I know how brutal it is the whole binge purge cycle the whole restricting what you eat the body image issues. I'm doing better with that now, but I still am very self-concious of how I look. I went IP treatment for my ED about to years ago and that really helped. I've never been to OA meeting but I went to something called celebrate recovery and it was 12 steps and open to anything including food addiction, I later developed a drug addiction so now I go to NA and Celebrate recovery. Only thing is it's Christian based so if your not into that then that's ok but it's a really good group.

[Nina Kay]

Hi Cathy. I really felt encouraged myself too, by what you said in your post here. I really wish that you could come here to share more often. thanks.

[Cathy31]

Thanks Nina what a lovely thing to say! SR helped me SO MUCH with my struggle with alcoholism especially at the beginning - I intend to share daily here! I am back to day 1 but I'm feelnig positive and know how I slipped (with chocolate!) yesterday - it did not result in a day long binge which is a start, but I'm feeling positive and hopeful. Who would've thought that the whole food thing could be AS soul destroying as alcohol/drug use...it's just amazing to me! Thank God there IS a solution!
Cathy31
x

[Nina Kay]

it did not result in a day long binge which is a start,

Hi Cathy. I think that it's a wonderful start. That is progress. I too, am thankful that there is a solution, by the grace of God.

[Neagrm]

Your posts give me hope. Thanks.

[Lily]

If you go to OA.org and click on phone meetings, then go to the 90 day meetings you can call in and find some wonderful meetings by phone with HUGE recovery! I have been in recovery since 8/1/09 and have lost 37.5 lbs!

I have been delivered from the bondage of food!