I went to a few OA meetings, but as an atheist, it ended up not being my thing. Also, depending on who shows up, you can have conversation hogs, amateur therapists, or other annoying people.
I do think you can get a lot out of the group if the people are folks you connect with. You might end up with a group that helps you feel alone, someone you can call before you binge, or just feel like you have one more tool in your tool box.
Lots of bulimics are in OA too, and although being obese and being bulimic are very very related, the issues those two groups deal with are very different, in my opinion. Obsessive behavior is obsessive behavior, but being shamed for being fat is very different than being rewarded for being thin.
I recommend going a few times, if you don't like it, you can leave any time. I picked up some brochures and some of the mantras still help me at times.
I gave the online meetings a shot since there isn't one that I can attend locally. Honestly, I didn't get much out of it. I do ascribe to the higher power being a Christian and it did encourage me to pray about it. (just my thing) But the format of their meeting and the way that they approach it from the AA book, I didn't find it useful
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I would probably not enjoy OA. I have attended a lot of NA/AA meetings for my clients (therapist), and often struggle with the concept of a Higher Power. While I think it can be empowering for those that subscribe to a Higher Power, I have difficulty since I don't.
That being said, I have also been to AWESOME NA/AA meetings and others not so much. The sense of community through the Anonymous meetings is enlightening.
If you're interested, I would give them a try. And see if you can try multiple meetings. It's amazing the differences between one meeting to the next.
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I do think you can get a lot out of the group if the people are folks you connect with. You might end up with a group that helps you feel alone, someone you can call before you binge, or just feel like you have one more tool in your tool box.
Lots of bulimics are in OA too, and although being obese and being bulimic are very very related, the issues those two groups deal with are very different, in my opinion. Obsessive behavior is obsessive behavior, but being shamed for being fat is very different than being rewarded for being thin.
I recommend going a few times, if you don't like it, you can leave any time. I picked up some brochures and some of the mantras still help me at times.
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That being said, I have also been to AWESOME NA/AA meetings and others not so much. The sense of community through the Anonymous meetings is enlightening.
If you're interested, I would give them a try. And see if you can try multiple meetings. It's amazing the differences between one meeting to the next.
Reply
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