Question:
Anyone go to OA (Overeaters Anonymous)?

I am pre op RNY and I go to OA (Overeaters Anonymous) meetings weekly. I just got a sponsor and am really working on the steps, etc. I firmly believe I will need OA post op to help me continue to deal with the "head hunger" and emotional eating and my doctor is very pleased that I am involved with it. I just wanted to know if anyone else was in OA pre or post op. Did you share that you had had WLS with the OA group?    — Clumsybarbie (posted on May 21, 2009)

May 22, 2009
I think this is a good idea and I've been thinking about going to OA myself. I am 2 years postop. I did attend FAA (Food Addicts Anonymous) preop and did lose some weight there but their philosophy is too strict. They believe sugar, wheat and all flours are addictive. I did attend a wls support group but the meeting night didn't work. Of course, I live in Akron Ohio which is the home of AA so we have a lot of 12 step programs here. I'll be interested in knowing how you do. By the way, when I mentioned the wls surgery to someone in Faa she asked me why I wanted to "mutulate my body like that." Not what I wanted to hear preop.
   — Muggs

May 22, 2009
These gruops can be a great help. You will also want to find a local wls support group. There are issues that other groups are not going to understand. Head hunger and food cravings are a big issues after surgery. I still don't mention the surgery to many people. They can be too judgemental. You might ask your sponsor what they think of the surgery ( not that you are going to have it) to get a feel for what reaction you may get.
   — trible

May 22, 2009
For some people OA is great. It was not for me. I went for about 2 months, but quit because I found it to be too depressing. Every time I left a meeting I felt worse than when I went in, but I think that was because in the meetings I was going to it didn't really feel like there was a lot of support so much as a lot of talking about how depressing their lives were and a lot of playing the victim without really helping each other deal with what was leading to the eating. I know some people who have really found it helpful, but they had to try a few different meetings before they found a group that had the right "vibe" and the right balance of support and sharing of struggles/depressing stories. With that said, I completely support you trying it out, because I do believe it can be benenficial if you find the right meeting where people offer the kind of support or sharing or other tools you need. I just share my story so that you will know that there are different types of groups and that you may have to try a few different meetings times and locations before you will find a group that fits the kind of support that you need. I do encourage you to try going if you think it might be beneficial to you.
   — ads2e

May 22, 2009
I have to say I'm with April on this one. I attended OA meetings for about five years pre-op, and all in all I didn't find it of that much help. I think, for me anyway, and in the group I was in, there was absolutely no accountability for anyone's individual actions -- including my own, so I'm not just talking about everyone else here. In AA, if you so much as think about having a drink your sponsor will chew you up and spit you out, and won't take any of your excuses -- but in OA it was all "oh, there, there, dear, you'll do better next time -- maybe you'll only eat HALF a cake instead of a whole one." As April points out, there was a serious victim mentality going on --I've often wondered if that's because in AA it's mostly men and in OA it's mostly women, and for the most part men want to FIX things and women want to TALK about fixing them. For me, at least, OA in the end was a giant pity party and an excuse to stay in the overweight rut you were in -- but that's just me. If it works for you, honey, stick with it. I found individual therapy worked better for me, but maybe I just liked being the center of attention (LOL). I knew of some people OA worked for, but it wasn't for me in the end. Do what works for you! Blessings,
   — Cheryl Denomy

May 24, 2009
I went pre op and it was a great support, post op I started attending a support group for people in my area that had weight loss surgery. This was really helpful because you will find the topics to be a better fit.
   — mamacounta