THE "PROGRAM"

I am on day 13 of "abstinence" in O.A. (Overeaters Anonymous, hereafter referred to as O.A.).
I have found that everyone in this program (yes, I do tend to overgeneralize - one of my "character defects") seems to have a slightly different way of defining abstinence. Mine is how many days I have abstained from my personal binge foods and how many days I have been abstinent from a binge or a time of compulsive overeating. So... day 13.

I haven't meant to make the same mistakes in life over and over. One thing I am learning is that this disease it three fold: Physical, Mental and Spiritual and it seems that Spiritual is the main issue. In short, if we are "spiritually fit" we don't compulsively over eat, we don't drink (if we're alcoholic), we don't do drugs, gamble or run up our credit cards.

I love God and I have been a saved, "born again" Christian since 1988, but I have had to face the truth lately that I have not been spiritually fit. In any of the 12 Step programs, rigorous honesty is stressed and important. In the 4th step, we must put down in black and white all the people who we have resentments towards, and all those we think that we have hurt.  One of the things I am learning is that unless we are "Spiritually Fit" then NOTHING in our life will work very well for very long. To have a life which is rich and satisfying, we MUST put our Higher Power (God) before anything or anyone else. We must work the steps EVERY SINGLE DAY and at least some of the 9 tools to become spiritually fit and to stay spiritually fit. Then and only then can we live a life free from compulsion and continuous turbulence with other people....

More to follow tomorrow.