I am so sorry that 'we' treated you as though you had two heads. For me, whenever anyone comes to a meeting and shares something that's a little off-beat, sometimes, I'm not sure how to respond, so I just let it go! AA is a spiritual program, but it's not for everyone. However, if you find yourself in jam, wanting to pick up a drink, you can go to a meeting. This is what I was told to say under those circumstances. My Name is Linda, and I'm dying and need help.

My OA experience is varied. I attended meetings in El Paso (waving at ABQ) and found them useful, but my main focus was on AA since I was still pretty young in the AA program. More recently, I had a bout of depression and thought that maybe I could explore OA once again to get some support. The local meeting was interesting, at the end of the meeting, the founder pulled out recipes for dessert and then promptly served up that dessert! So much for three planned meals and no sugar! Food issues are very difficult because we have to eat, and VERY few people will self-identify to have an issue of obesity in this country let alone control.

12-Step meetings are only as healthy as the people in them. Like you though, I'm finding that RR has it's place. There is a young lady in my AA group who self-identifies at the anorexia end, and I'm at the bulimic (binge / diet, exercise) end. I mentioned that maybe we could explore the Hazelden daily meditation book, Inner Harvest, along with supporting each other using Potatoes not Prozac. I'll see how that goes.

Again, I do apologize for your experience with AA. I've found it a rich a rewarding place to be, mostly because I have a different set of coping skills beyond food and alcohol.

Linda
--

: I am only on step 1 and have tried
: attending several OA groups over
: the years. I just never felt
: comfortable. I had a belief in a
: higher power but I also felt like
: a very powerful smaller version of
: my higher power. I had overcome
: some very difficult things in my
: lifetime and just felt that there
: had to be a reason why I couldn't
: overcome sugar addiction.

: OA isn't for everybody. I tried an AA
: meeting as well. I had stopped
: drinking on my own (it was
: incredibly hard-the detox was
: hell) and thought maybe meetings
: would help me bond with others.
: When I shared in a meeting that I
: had stopped on my own using some
: holistic methods instead of AA
: they looked at me like I had two
: heads. And nobody talked to me.
: That was my last meeting.

: I feel like RR has all the
: answers-the food and the support
: of those who have gone before me.
: Please understand that I am not
: putting recovery groups like OA or
: AA down, I know that they have
: worked for many, just not me. It
: is nice to be home!

: Laura