Has anyone ever been to OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS?

[ShakeDatTing2]

I'm really struggling and found a meeting near me.

I was really excited to try and get some help or learn how to help myself and I read into it a bit more and all the 12 steps go on about God :(

I'm an atheist. I hate organised religion TBH and I'm just so upset.

I thought I actually found some help.

I'd it really preachy and all about God or could I still get some help there?

It's probably just the serenity prayer like in AA. Why not go once and see?

I dunno 'turn your life over to God'

I just want help with my food addiction. Not indoctrinating 😂

I think you can replace 'God' with anything else you might believe in. My friend lost 12 stone with OA and isn't remotely religious. She now counsels other new joiners.

I'm glad you asked this as I was thinking exactly the same this morning! I found a local one and had decided I was going to go, until I read through the 12 steps and it really put me off

"As we understand him" seems to cover all bases " Just replace God with OA.

If this is like AA and your an atheist it's more about accepting you don't/can't/shouldn't control the world and your life in it.
I know people who have been through AA and even though the steps read like this none of them have reported any god talk.

I think I will give it a go.

Worst case scenario, I just go once.

Brilliant,best of luck and I hope it helps.

As others have said, God can be replaced with anything that isn't you. Some people think of a 'higher power' like the Universe or nature for example. I have done a 12 step programme (not OA) and I am a definite atheist who doesn't have any belief system at all. In fact I did the programme without identifying a higher power, I just accepted that I couldn't control my 'issue' on my own.

My advice is to give it a go and maybe chat to a few other people after the meeting and they will definitely give you some helpful pointers.

Yes I attend overeaters anonymous via zoom.

It involves a higher power - God as you understand them.

Any questions I'm happy to answer. I hope the meeting goes well!

I think it's just using "God" as in a power higher than you. IE you can't control everything and learn to let things go.

They're happy for you to substitute anything you like for God and it isn't particularly religious at all.

For example "let go and let God" just means accepting that you are not in control of this, stop worrying and leave it to work itself out as it will.

It may not be for you but give it a go, don't let the god thing be the only thing that stops you.

It's God "as we understood him" which means it can be any kind of higher power. Other people I know variously take this to mean; the power of the OA/AA group, the universe, nature, your own "higher self" - anything that has meaning to you. You just need to believe that you and your own willpower are not all there is, and that there is some kind of collective power or greater force you can take strength from.

Oh gosh, OA via Zoom, how do I get into that please?

I went and was completely turned off by the "higher power" thing.
Yes, they say "Oh it's not God if you don't believe in God", but all the chat and questions were firmly rooted in God from my perspective.
I'm sure they mean well but I couldn't stick it and never went back.

All the 12 steps programmes are basically a religion. Some groups are better than others ( apparantly) however you have to give yourself over to a higher power. They kicked me out for talking about science based approaches to addiction.

I'm curious what your science approaches were to addiction, CrazyK. What does that mean you believed & said? Which 12 step programme did you get kicked out of?

12 step is a programme of attraction not promotion, OP, nobody is evangelical. You can come & go as you please. I was in OA for 2 years. It was exactly what I needed. And it was right for me to leave, too. Nobody was ever preachy. Some may express general faith & some will rant about having no religion but how they are still trying to hope there is an HP. They talk about how they do their best to be willing to act as if they knew what that HP was.

There's the famous story about the recovering drunk who made the paper frog in the AA meeting room corner into his HP. Your HP only needs to be something bigger & wiser than you. Fate, Luck, coincidence, the Universe, Sod's Law, whatever you call it. The 12 step process & community fellowship is a HP for some.

@DrHousecuredme you can search here:

www.oagb.org.uk/find-a-meeting/

They have options for in person and virtual meetings.

Or, I found my group by googling overeaters anonymous plus my home town.

I got in touch with the lady who ran the group via text message and she sent me the zoom link.

Good luck! I hope you find OA helpful!

I attended today and just found it really weird.

A bit cultish really. Reminded me very much of Catholic Mass.

The monotone sayings repeated out loud and the weird 'thankyou name' everyone said at the same time.

The hand holding at the end and recitals of 'make sure you come back or it doenst work' in a little rhyme.

I really didn't like it at all

No one can kick you out of a 12 step programme.

Sorry to hear that. I'd find that weird too. Might be worth trying another group - mine isn't like that at all!

There were only 3 people in attendance, they all seemed to know each other very well.

So you don't hold hands and say these 2 separate 'prayers' printed out?

I just thought it was like trauma dumping with a 3 minute timer, then no one is allowed to respond to what they've just heard, they just sit there until someone else said

'hi I'm XYZ and I'm a compulsive eater'
'hi xyz'

It was like something out of a deep south USA movie.

Maybe I'm word but I just found it unnerving.

You can maybe look at BEAT, OP. I don't know how they are for Binge Eating Disorders, but can ask.

They had a timer for sharing and hand holding??? Oh dear, I'm sorry this was your first experience of OA.

No not my experience at all. Our group goes something like this...(online)

There are usually about 12 people in attendance via zoom. You don't have to put your camera on, I don't, but if you're new they will ask you to briefly to check you're genuine as we've had a few zoom Bombers!

Group leader welcomes everyone, reads the 12 steps. Any OA announcements e.g upcoming socials. We do a brief check in with everyone, how's your week been etc (not timed lol)

Then someone reads that weeks step. Or maybe there's a talk by an external person.

People are then invited to share their thoughts, theres about 20 mins to speak freely. The meeting is an hour in total.

Some people do reference a higher power, but you don't have to.

They wrap up with the serenity prayer.

It might not be for you and that's absolutely fine, however I just wanted to say that's not what all OA groups are like!

We also have a WhatsApp group where people can message each other between meetings. No obligation to join it.

People don't tend to respond to each others shares, apart from the group leader who will thank them for sharing. I'm not keen on this either, however I also think think if everyone responded to each other the meeting would go on forever!

What you can do as well is find a sponsor who will work with you one to one, and they can help you find one.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

Hmm, may be I'll try an online group. That might actually be better for me with my anxiety.

I'll give one a try.