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

You won’t know till you try .. I have gone many times.. it’s debatable if the 12 steps can work on an addiction that’s impossible to stay completely clear of since we need to eat to live..many are successful... drinking , drugs . Sex and gambling can be walked away from... food temptations are hard to break because we can’t put our addiction down and walk away.. that doesn’t mean it’s impossible... if you believe strongly that a power greater than yourself can help , it’s for you .

On 6/1/2019 at 6:49 AM, summerset said:

May I ask what your specific problems are?

Depending on what's going on you might benefit from books/workbooks/boards that deal with the issue of "normal eating" and "emotional eating".

I was actually feeling "snacky" during the day. Like I just wanted to mindlessly eat. I was getting nervous I'd fall back into the same habits, and also consistently eat too much at one sitting. But it appears it was just a phase, because I am back to sticking to my 5 small meals a day plan without an issue. I'm doing well again!

Do you have an idea what it caused?