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I Wish Someone Had Told Me…

The Difference Between “Abstinence ” & “Sobriety”

For recovering alcoholics, “sobriety” is that period of time when they have not had a single drop of alcohol.  “Abstinence” for food addicts is similar, yet much more difficult to define.  Theoretically, it is that period of time when they have eaten only the items and the amounts that are allowed on their food plans.  …Continue reading →

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Don’t Count Days!

I know I am not supposed to be telling anyone what to do but… Although counting days and getting medallions is a wonderful way to celebrate days of sobriety in AA, in my experience, it is not such a good idea in OA.  My first time around in program, getting that one-year medallion meant everything to me.  …Continue reading →

Spoken & Unspoken Meeting Rules

Here is a list of what I consider to be the main “rules of the road” for those of you who decide to check-out some 12-Step meetings.  This is not an “official” list (I don’t think there is one), but rather, it is just a bunch of observations I have made over the years. Anonymity.  …Continue reading →

There Are Different Types of OA Meetings

When I first started going to OA, way back in the late 1980’s, all I knew about Overeater’s Anonymous was a hazy memory of a commercial from the late ’70’s showing a person opening and closing a refrigerator door over and over again, and a voice-over asking me if I ate when I wasn’t hungry, or …Continue reading →

“RARELY” Have We Seen A Person Fail…

Assuming that this program won’t work for us is probably the most obvious lie that we tell ourselves because it is staring us in the face the moment we so much as think about joining a 12 Step program.  The irony is that the 12 Steps have a better track record than pretty-much any other type of addiction …Continue reading →

Not All 12-Step Meetings Are Created Equal

When you go to your first OA meeting, keep in mind that this particular meeting on this particular day is not at all a clear representation of what OA is about in general.  It is merely a very small glimpse of a very big picture.  This is why it is extremely important that all newcomers go to several …Continue reading →