By Mélodie Descoubes
Have you ever devoured a tub of ice cream, a bag of cookies, chips, and chocolate in a single evening because you were feeling anxious? Does binge eating ring a bell? It’s an eating disorder characterized by the compulsive overconsumption of food. There’s a support group to help you learn to live better with this overwhelming urge to eat unreasonably: Overeaters Anonymous.
“We admitted that we were powerless over food — that we had lost control of our lives.” This is the opening line of the Twelve Steps program offered by Overeaters Anonymous (OA). They consider food and weight as symptoms of deeper problems: “We use food in the same way that alcoholics use alcohol, and drug addicts use drugs.”
Not a Diet Group
Like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), for a while Overeaters Anonymous (OA) met several times a week on Zoom, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Their meetings are free and open to all. Participants identify themselves only by their first name to ensure their anonymity and to eliminate any socioeconomic or religious barriers. These codified sharing sessions do not encourage any diet, but rather an “inner transformation.”
Before beginning their meetings, OA members read the 12 Steps and the 12 Traditions. These texts are inspired by the Big Book, the emblematic work of Alcoholics Anonymous. While each person may experience their own unique symptoms, these writings help find a common solution. The goal is not a cure, but to live peacefully with an eating disorder and to “recover on three levels: physical, emotional, and spiritual.”
Phone calls, writing, reading, and sponsorship are among the various tools used by Overeaters Anonymous. They can ask any member to sponsor them; it’s primarily a matter of feeling. “My sponsor helps me manage my anxieties and doubts. I can contact her anytime I feel the need,” explains Marie (not her real name: all the names in this article have been changed to ensure anonymity).
Support Group
About thirty people were present on Zoom for the meeting entitled: “To Be or To Appear to Be.” Some were more discreet than others behind their screens. Smiles appeared on faces, and a sense of goodwill quickly pervaded the group.
The facilitator, in a friendly mood, is also an overeater. He warmly welcomed and reassured the newcomers: “You’re in the right place; you’ll find support.”
“How do you refrain from criticizing others?” was the theme for the sharing session.
Taking turns, the OA members answered questions in a maximum of three minutes and listened attentively to one another. Some stories generated smiles, while others highlighted the daily challenges of living with an eating disorder. “I heard stories I really needed tonight,” says Marc.
A range of emotions were shared during this virtual roundtable discussion, which lasted around two hours. Everyone was praised for speaking. While easy for some, more challenging for others, speaking is not mandatory. Listening is a key element. Compassion and hope were clearly present among the group members, all of whom had an excessive relationship with food, regardless of their age.
These meetings also feature a symbolic object used by the fellowships: a token representing six months of abstinence, awarded to the OA member who achieves this milestone during a small ceremony usually held at the end of the session. “It allows us to see the light at the end of the tunnel when we see one of our members succeed,” emphasizes Jean. “The token is a source of pride that reminds us of the journey we’ve traveled, the days of sobriety that have accumulated,” adds Amélie, who compares it to “a real nugget of gold.”
To contact Overeaters Anonymous:
514-490-1939 or 1-877-509-1939
www.oaquebec.org
Photo: Jennifer Pallian
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