Has anyone here ever attended an Overeaters Anonymous meeting?

Right after surgery I contacted the local chapter to talk to them about my reservations about the whole "higher power"/religious aspect of OA (I am nonreligious), and the host assured me it wasn't about religion. (The AA meetings I had gone to with a friend, they read from the Bible and prayed). Anyways, she went on to talk about how she became a food addict after SEVERE physical and sexual abuse by her family, and then I felt kinda like "my problems aren't nearly as bad as these people, so I don't think it's right for me to attend". I then mentioned I had WLS and she was kinda' iffy about it - gave me the impression she felt like I took an easy way out instead of working with OA and dieting, etc. I don't know...

Anyways, I am 6 months out now and the feelings of just wanting to nibble all day are coming back. I also have been eating super fast again and I vomit a lot. I don't eat the wrong foods, or too much foods, just too quickly. And I am seriously battling snacking all day, which I haven't.

OA is free and in the evenings, and I can't afford therapy or the time off work to go to it, so I am sort of thinking of going to OA. I just don't know if I will be ironically rejected for "cheating" by having WLS or being a bit thinner now. Anyone familiar with this group???? I have pretty bad anxiety and I am really nervous about the idea.

Edited April 23, 20197 yr by mousecat88

I'd say do whatever you think is going to help you. I've not been to OA, so I don't really know that much about them, but you wouldn't have to tell them you've had WLS, would you? Does your surgeon's office have support groups? Mine does, they meet once a month and have a seminar.

2 minutes ago, GradyCat said:

I'd say do whatever you think is going to help you. I've not been to OA, so I don't really know that much about them, but you wouldn't have to tell them you've had WLS, would you? Does your surgeon's office have support groups? Mine does, they meet once a month and have a seminar.

I dunno - the things I want to talk about are kind of like "hey, I became addicted to food because of these events in my past and struggled with body image even when I was thin.... so I had WLS and now I need help because those old feelings of wanting to snack are coming back and it's making me physically sick." WLS is part of my story now.

My surgeon's office has a "support group" once a month, but from what I am told no one actually talks? They just have a speaker come in to talk about different things (one month was a plastic surgeon, one month a physical therapist, etc). I actually want to talk to people and get their advice.

I know OA uses the 12-steps and I am NOT A FAN. I just want to talk to people with similar issues. I guess I could go and not actually follow the steps, but use it to talk? Arrrghhh. Maybe a friend will go with me the first time.

I think @ Danny Paul is either a member or has attended there a lot. Said they have helped him.

I remember going to my first OA meeting and coming down the steps and telling my friend I thought they all had way more problems than me and I didn't need it. I was about 230 and moved out of state. I went on to gain another 100 pounds, so obviously my problem was just as bad.

OA Is a good program and has helped many people. I have seen first hand.

Good luck!

I went to OA and am not religious. I found it more white-knuckling and letting God guide you than real tactical help.

30 minutes ago, ElaineP said:

I went to OA and am not religious. I found it more white-knuckling and letting God guide you than real tactical help.

That's what I am worried about. I want like common sense, real-world advice. I don't believe in the giving yourself over to a higher power thing or that "once an addict always an addict". I also feel like 12 step programs deflect personal responsibility.

My friend is in school to become a therapist and has to attend a support group for her class so I think we may go on Friday just to see what it is like.

I just got back from my psychiatrist and she said to give it a try and see if my surgeon has referrals (which they don't). If it doesn't work, she will pitch my problem to the team there and see if a therapist will pick up my case. No one there deals with eating disorders, but EVERYONE deals with substance abuse disorders (yay, West Virginia) and addiction is addiction so someone may be willing to try to work with me.

Surely hope so, you know , Food Addiction is a tough but to crack.

Nut not Butt, got enough of that already!

I went for a little while. It wasn't for me. I'm not very religious either, and I found it to be too faith-based. They pray and read teachings. I did like hearing other people's stories of their eating disorders; in my group it wasn't just overweight people, it was all kinds of people who had issues with food.

I just checked to see if there was anything on MeetUp - none in my area, but the site somehow knows that 4 are interested. Maybe you'll have better luck in your area? I just searched "Gastric" and "Bariatric" to see what popped up, in case you want to try it.

9 hours ago, SublimeLemons said:

I just checked to see if there was anything on MeetUp - none in my area, but the site somehow knows that 4 are interested. Maybe you'll have better luck in your area? I just searched "Gastric" and "Bariatric" to see what popped up, in case you want to try it.

There's no meetups in my area - I live in a kinda rural place.

I talked to my trainer about this yesterday and he said I have an issue with undereating now and I told him that I am scared to start snacking throughout the day because it's not a good habit to pick back up. He said it'll be fine if I just eat like a few carrots in between my 5 small meals, but then I was like... but it can easily lead to me snacking on junk and then I will hate myself for doing that. It's such a slippery slope in my mind. He said my worry is good, but I took my worry up to level 10 and it's preventing me from eating things that are healthy and that I SHOULD get more calories in due to the intensity of my workouts. I just don't feel mentally comfortable doing that. I'm scared I will slip up and not be able to stop myself, or slip up and feel REALLY DAMN BAD and get really depressed. He said I am probably wanting to snack not so much because of bad habits coming back, but because I don't get enough macros in for the amount of work I am doing and my body is craving more food.

That truly makes sense! Just pick the better choices and only that. Jerky, that is my goto if I need to chew. I can even chew gum without it bothering me. Also, I still eat fast. I can't do the chew your food to death. But I know my portions and I stop and wait, which every time, I start feeling the bubbles, and burps-ish things.