My First Steps in Overeaters Anonymous
My first sponsor, TS, walked me through all the steps. She may have tried to convey that I needed to continue working on them, but that wasn’t something I took away from our time together.
After about two months in OA, I was releasing weight, following a food plan, and attending meetings—using them the same way I had used my Pay-and-Weigh groups. TS and I had finished discussing the book, so I thought, “What more could I really do?”
A Turning Point: The Big Book Study
In April 1999, four months into Overeaters Anonymous, a member of my home group invited a speaker from Alcoholics Anonymous to present a “Big Book” study. That weekend changed everything.
I learned about the history of AA, how the steps came about, and that this wasn’t just a program—it was meant to be a way of life. I had heard people say we don’t graduate from OA, but until that weekend, I didn’t truly understand what they meant.
The Power of Step 7
What struck me most was how the AA speaker talked about Step 7. To give context, here’s a simplified breakdown of the steps and how they relate to Step 2 and the idea of a higher power:
- Step 1 – Accept the true nature of my illness and admit I am powerless.
- Step 2 – Recognize that I need “power” to recover.
- Step 3 – Say a prayer to that “power” and commit to doing the rest of the steps.
- Step 4 – Examine the thoughts and emotions swirling in my head—anger, anxiety, shame, lies I’ve been told or tell myself.
- Step 5 – Share what I uncovered in Step 4 with another person and invite my higher power into the conversation.
- Step 6 – Become willing to let my higher power remove my attachments to those ideas, lies, and hurts.
- Step 7 – Say a prayer and offer my whole self—good and bad—to the higher power of my understanding.
The speaker explained the difference between humility and humiliation. Whether religious, agnostic, or atheist, in addiction we often believe we hold the power—evidenced by controlling behaviors, people-pleasing, and an unwillingness to accept the past. Step 7 is about being humble enough to admit I am not “The All Powerful.”
How This Relates Back to Step 2
That night, I went home and said the Step 7 prayer four or five times in a row. I considered each word. I began using the prayer every morning because I loved the line: “Grant me strength as I go out from here…” I needed strength to leave home and face the day.
On page 46 of the Big Book, the authors suggest that as soon as I express a willingness to believe in a higher power, I’ll start to get results. I didn’t need to accept someone else’s conception—even if my own seemed inadequate. I just had to use the idea to get through the steps.
I prayed to a “god” I didn’t believe in for months—and was granted freedom from food. It wasn’t until that Big Book study weekend that I understood the amazing thing happening in my life and truly connected to that power.
Finding a Mentor
The following Sunday, I approached LC to teach me more about the Big Book. He became my sponsor until 2011, and I still consider him a mentor today.
Helping Others Find Their Higher Power
When I work with someone who is religious, I help them rely on God. Often, they attend church and pray regularly, but they don’t believe God will take care of their food issue.
When I work with someone who’s been hurt by religion or does not believe in “God”, I offer ideas to start with and assign them the task of developing a concept they’re willing to work with.
I just needed to start somewhere. And that’s what I encourage others to do—start where you are, with what you’re willing to believe, and let the steps guide you forward.
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