Whatever happened to OA?

Years ago, there used to be a group just like AA, except it was OA-overeaters anonymous.  I have not seen one post where it is mentioned.  Did it fall off the planet?  Just curious...

Gosh I've never heard of it... but me and my empty bag of milano cookies think we should join!

hmmm.  i dunno, but i have to wonder if the 12-step model is exactly the right fit ;-)

I know of several people who used to go. I haven't seen these people since moving away. I'm sure there are still chapters alive.

The 12-step model works very well for over-eaters. It's really about them dealing with their addiction to food, not weight loss. A lot of the OA people I knew also went to Ala-non and ACOA (Adult Children of Alcoholics).

http://www.oa.org

It hasn't moved.

it ate itself...?  sorry couldnt help it....

I think it's still around.

But as one of the steps is to accept that there is a God and then put that God in control, it wouldn't do me much good!

Heather the beauty of the 12-step programs is that you "come to believe in a higher power" and turn over your addiction to this higher power. There is no definition of God per se. I went to a lot of Ala-non and ACOA meetings in my late 20's & early 30's. These groups really helped me to expand what I thought of as God and helped to send me on a spiritual journey.

They are beautiful programs that have helped millions of people. The focus of the groups is on taking personal responsibility for your thoughts and actions.

A "higher power" unless it is the actual universe doesn't exist to me, so I'd still have a hard time with it.

I went on a spiritual journey a few years ago. And ended up where I am. And it's the happiest, spiritually, that I've ever been.

What they mean by a higher power is some thing outside of yourself. For example if it's AA, the alcohol was the higher power and the alcoholic gave control of him/herself over to the alcohol.

Many people come into the programs with no beliefs in a higher power. Many remain atheists as far a god is concerned.

Some in the programs will try to convince others that they have to believe in some sort of god for the program to work. However, the founders of AA were much like the founders of the US Constitution in that they left if open for everyone to make up their own minds.

the higher power is to place blame so you dont have to take responsibility. Its boarders pathetic, but that is just my opinion.

Giggle, you have never been more wrong about anything.

The 12-step program pushes personal responsiblity. Step 4 requires the member to make a list of all of his/her character faults and misdeeds. Step 5 requires the member to admit these faults to another trusted member. Another step requires the member to make a list of all the people he has caused harm in any way. Another step requires the member to make amends whereever possible.

No where in a true 12-step program will a person be "let off the hook". When a member comes to a meeting whining about what others have done, other members gently (and sometimes not so gently) point to how this member has to take responsibility for their part in whatever happened.

 

I miss the show "Starved"  They showed the actors going to a support group and their mantra was " That's NOT OK.!"  It was such a funny show but I'm afraid it offended a lot of people....sigh....

Moonikins... dont talk to me about this, unless you have a psychology degree im going to assume (and rightly so) that you are just too naive to understand the meaning behind doing each one of those steps.

Original Post by giggle_puppy:

Moonikins... dont talk to me about this, unless you have a psychology degree im going to assume (and rightly so) that you are just too naive to understand the meaning behind doing each one of those steps.

 I suggest you don't espouse on a program you are desperately in need of but have never tried. 

Im in need of a group that helps people who over eat? What? Im down to a 10% body fat.... but hey nice try to make a fat-joke... wanna see a fat joke? Go look in a mirror! OH SNAAAAP!


Just to add using "espouse" didnt make a whole lot of sense....

Giggle, espouse is what you get when you go to eHarmony. DuR!

Sorry...but saying there's some "higher power" even if it's alcohol takes away from personal responsibility. I'm not turning over anything to anyone. I'm owning up to the fact that I've eaten too much and been active too little.

Probably the wrong place to put this but has anyone seen the episode of King of Queens when Kari makes Doug go to OA meetings but he instead discovers like abusive spouse meetings...with tons of food laid out? So funny, yet typical.

Was in OA briefly about 17 years ago. At that time the 12-step was exactly the AA version. In fact they were using the AA book at that time.

All of them came from the AA program. All of the 12-step programs use the same 12 steps as AA. Most use the AA book and then interpret to the addiction at hand. The AA 12-steps were a framework for dealing with addiction.

Ala-non and ACOA have books of their own that share the stories of those in recovery. I believe there are also books specific to OA, Gamblers Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, ect. The steps are the same wording with a slight change to replace the word "alcohol" with whatever addiction is present.

Here is the wording of the first step.

"We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. "

I support you moonikins. I think the 12-step program is about taking personal responsibility. It's not about giving up responsibility to a higher power.

The serenity prayer works for me, I just modify it a bit to take out the "god" parts.