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A Story of a Recovered Compulsive Eater

By Sarah

I had no peace, no joy I just obsessed about my weight. I was focused on dieting and restricting and binging. I was never in between to the degree that I would get really depressed if I ate more than I said I would in a day and I would be really happy if I ate less than I said I would in a day. I remember one particular diet that I tried it was really restrictive and one day I walked into the kitchen and devoured an entire two boxes of cereal. I had absolutely no understanding of why I did this. I put all the weight again for the millionth time. I moved country and moved in with a bunch a people we all lived closely together. I soon found it really difficult trying to manage food and I would find my self after work stuck in kitchen stuffing my face. I had no control.

I heard about a group that supports compulsive eaters, Overeaters Anonymous. I was initially very skeptical. But then after a while, I decided to go along to a meeting and the lady there described compulsive eating as an illness that was more of a mental problem than a physical problem. When I head what she said it made total sense and it was totally me. I undertook the12 step Overeaters Anonymous program and met up my sponsor. She helped me through steps quickly. After a week and half and getting into the solution she said that if you want to see that your recovered you need to work your steps 10, 11 and 12. So, I did I just started to do it. I distinctly remember calling her two days after I was ‘recovered’ crying because it was a miracle this thing really worked. I would have before working the program have been in the kitchen everyday after work stuffing my face with anything from bread to chocolate to a bag of carrots or oranges.

It has been over two years since I worked my steps and got my solution which I continue to live in today. They have been the best two years of my life. I genuinely am happy, joyous and free. I wake up every morning feeling full of purpose. I I would love to help anyone out there if you have been where I have been. There is a solution to compulsive eating.