O-Anon - Al-Anon Family Group

jeanmarie-j · Newbie

O-Anon

deacon · Senior Member

Jeanmarie, I would be very willing to participate in an o-anon board and you are correct in that there is little in the way of support. I struggle with my weight and keep it controlled but have several family members who are very overweight and, as you say, are slowly killing themselves.

glad · ~*Service Worker*~

To me a true eating disorder is very similar to alcoholism. I see many similar issues!

pinkchip · ~*Service Worker*~

I hope you find support. Not sure this is the right forum either but I feel for you for sure. We also have to respect our moderators.

pinkchip · ~*Service Worker*~

That being said...my posting pictures of my new cat has not much to do with alanon either lol.

grateful2be · ~*Service Worker*~

Hello. I can understand your concerns. I do see a difference between O-Anon and Al-Anon for this reason: We don't need alcohol or drugs to live. We do need food. Overeating to me isn't an addiction. It might be a compulsion or it might be a medical issue. The reasons people overeat are varied and unlike AA where those afflicted with the disease of alcoholism must abstain from alcohol, folks who overeat cannot do that. On the other hand, I do also think that the 12 steps are helpful to anyone worried about a loved one's issues because we can be as easily drawn in to trying to manage the food intake of our loved ones as we might try to manage the drinking of a loved one. In the case of overeating and the case of alcoholism, what our loved ones do or don't do is none of our business. Learning to focus on ourselves by living and not the person who is overeating is a process that I do think can better be worked in Al-Anon for those of us who are troubled by our loved ones food intake or weight. We can apply the 12 steps to ourselves and our lives easily and most of us with food issues or loved ones with food issues probably qualify for Al-Anon because we do have a friend or family member - either past or present - who were or are alcoholics.

-- Edited by grateful2be on Sunday 28th of December 2014 03:38:39 PM

hotrod · ~*Service Worker*~

I would like to say welcome and suggest that "the only requirement for membership in alanon is that there is a problem of alcoholism is a relative or friend."

I believe there are very few people out there who do not have at least one relative or friend that has a problem with alcohol so that all may attend.

Keep coming back use the tools, work the slogans and if it helps I am happy

Jerry F · ~*Service Worker*~

I got rid of a bunch of problems and addictions in Al-Anon even the ones I didn't go there for. The solutions in the program will help over a very wide range of personal problems including overeating. We don't talk specifically about much more than problems we are looking for solutions to as a result of our relationship with the alcoholic and/o addict. If the person we are affected by has an addiction to eating the program could certainly work however we would have to understand that conversations and discussions will be about alcoholism/drug addictions and our personal non-working reactions to it.

What worked for me was going to the meetings with an open mind and not talking about stuff I didn't know about and which others did not relate to. We are all here for each other...group.

Keep coming back with an open mind. (((((hugs))))) smile

hotrod · ~*Service Worker*~

This message was transferred from another posting onthe Board re O-Anonby Barbara D

There is a group for people who love compulsive eaters. They were referred to Overeaters Anonymous and that was fine. But I happened to have just finished an O-Anon meting and ran into this post. So I want say o-anon.org is their website and currently there is one telephone meeting, Sunday night at 5:00 pm EST.

Go to the website and email them and they will get in touch with you. There is literature and new friends to help deal with the family situations which arise from eating disorders.

Welcome! I hope to speak to you at the next meeting!

Barbara D

-- Edited by hotrod on Sunday 28th of December 2014 09:19:47 PM

The material presented here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method to exchange information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal level.