Question:
Has anybody joined OA?

   — Nirana (posted on April 13, 2007)

April 13, 2007
I have a great affection for OA. I was actively working that program for about 10 years,and I feel it saved my life. I stopped it & dived back into the food again.I gained 120 pounds back over the years. I 'forgot' that I was a food addict ! I have noticed that most everyone connected wiith WLS are focused on the weight & how much you can lose,etc. OA helps focus on the cause of most obesity> food addiction,and provides tools to help you live with it,one day at a time. I consider the creation of my pouch as a tool to help regain my health. Losing weight is not my only goal...I want to re-learn what I already know. That I am a food addict,and that I am just one bite away to the torture of living in a super morbidly obese body.And use the tools to help me live with it. I hope that this helps. My best to you. PS. OA 's web site is www.oa.org
   — peacelovecat

April 14, 2007
Nirana, OA is a great organization, and has a lot of support. If you have had wls, and don't have a great support group, or you need this type of support, than I would encourage you to try it out. Whether or not you have wls, there is a lot of support for the morbid obese person, and we need it, no matter what we weigh. Take care, Patricia P.
   — Patricia P

April 14, 2007
I also worked the OA program for years and it helped me a great deal. However, my addiction did get the better of me over time and I needed another tool to help me focus again on getting healthy. My lapband has been a great tool, it forced me to stop using food because there is only so much that I can take at once, after that, I need to focus on WHY I'm going for the food. I see it as sort of like Antabuse (not sure on the spelling) for the alcoholic. If they take that drug and try to drink, they get really sick, it doesn't allow them to drink. My lapband won't allow me to overeat, but I still need to address the underlying issues. Once my abuse of food was taken away, my life really needed (and continues to need) a lot of straightening out. For this reason, I intend to return to meetings this summer when I'm on my summer break from teaching and have more time to get it going again. If you need support, join! Some might try to make you feel like surgery is an "easier, softer way" but I don't see it that way. I prefer to think of it like this: If a Dr. had a surgical proceedure to help aleviate the symptoms of any other disease and make me healthier even though it's not a cure, I'd get it done. I think eventually WLS is becoming more and more accepted by everyone! Good luck to you!
   — Debra R.

June 7, 2007
Hi, I was SO happy to see OA brought up in the question list! I joined OA at age 23 at 272 after having my gallbladder removed. Some people suggested I check out the GBP surgery, after doing some research, I realized the problem was in my head and not my tummy. I joined OA and experience fanastic spiritual, emotional and physical recovery. Over the course of 2 years I lost nearly 80 pounds, improved all of my relationships and was loving life free of obsession from the disease of compulsive overeating. I come from a family of alcoholics and drug abusers. I chose food. Last September I graduated with my BA, got married and got my first managerial position. Then my company gave us 6 months notice and I had to help close it down and lay off 25 people. I lost my abstinence, after such a long hard year of studying and wedding planning, then losing my job, I gave it up and eventually stopped going to meetings. NOW 8 months later, I have gained back 60 pounds and my DR. put in a referrel for me for WLS. My home OA groups do view WLS as a softer way, but I feel that like the previous girl stated, it is just one more tool to aid my recovery. My dr. loves that i'm in OA. I personally am almost appalled that WLS patients aren't required to do more after surgery support or join OA like alcoholics are forced to go to AA. Many people don't even know about OA. Maybe after I have the surgery, I'll start a new local oa special emphasis meeting for WLS patients working the 12 steps to continue recovery.
   — morningoasis811