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?

Have a look at other support groups for eating disorders and also therapy (private, if you can afford it). 12 step groups aren’t for everyone. They have a particular focus and philosophy and they work for certain kinds of people. I’m an alcoholic but I don’t go to AA. What worked for me was finding an online support group (not 12 steps), therapy, and lifestyle changes.

I went a long time ago and to be honest I didn't get it. I can see how it can help to get social support from others but it didn't stop me binging.

If you like, I can PM you the details of our group. We meet on Monday evenings on zoom at 8pm. I won't say who I am and you don't need to say who you are within the group. They do have a face to face meeting once a month which I don't attend, but you can also join this meeting via zoom. Let me know if I can help in any way.

Try TheRecoveryGroup.org. This for shares and support for different types of oa. For instance a particular weight range, or people of limited mobility, or the Newcomers group that helps you understand the process.

That way you'll avoid the hand-holding and hugging, which I never liked either. There are some meetings that are more formal than others.

the god part - gomu - is because it's a spiritual program of recovery, not a diet club. Spiritual does not mean religious. It means finding something other than food to fill a wound or hurt.

That's why you share your week as much or as little as you wish, and don't have crosstalk, which you'll see on almost food/diet- related thread on MN, where there is so much pile-on and competitive under-eating.

Sponsor will help you monitor your food as fuel. You may wish to avoid a particular type of food, eg very sweet food, or a behaviour, eg midnight snacking.

Some Oa members also attend therapy if that's what helps. It's not exclusive of anything else. The only requirement is to recognise that you are powerless over food.

You're right - I'd completely forgotten about the repeated responses - very much like Mass (I'm not a lapsed Catholic, more of a collapsed Catholic !)

I was on edge the whole time I was there as I'm someone who likes detail so I wanted to ask questions of the people talking but nobody was allowed to speak at all until they'd finished, then they just moved on. I couldn't see how anyone could learn from other people's experiences like that.

I have gone to some meetings online and found it really helpful.

You can totally ignore any godishness - most people say higher power rather than God anyhow.

The meeting you went to sounds odd. From what I understand it has pretty much moved online post Covid so the people you met might be a strong flavour.

Yes please x

Have PM'd you! X

@ShakeDatTing2 could you PM me too please.