Eating Disorders - OA for May 2014

[MajestyJo]

Sunday, May 25, 2014

You are reading from the book Food for Thought

Delayed Gratification

One of the advantages of maturity is the ability to delay gratification of desires and needs. It is this ability, which makes possible the achievement of long-range goals and plans. We compulsive overeaters have permitted childish demands for immediate satisfaction to drive us into addictive habits. We still have some emotional growing up to do.

When we come to the OA program, we accept a reasonable plan for the gratification of our appetite and hunger. We know that we will eat three times a day, and we choose our food. As our appetite adjusts to eating smaller amounts less frequently, we may experience some discomfort. As maturing individuals, we can accept this discomfort in the interest of a healthier, more attractive body and a saner, more peaceful mind. Instead of having to have what we want now, this minute, we are able to wait until the appropriate time.

Working the Steps makes us aware of the emotional growing we need to do in order to have more satisfying relationships with other people. Here, too, we often have to delay immediate satisfaction in order to achieve larger, more important goals.

I pray for emotional and spiritual maturity.

Like all recovery programs, it is not a quick fix. You can't put a band aid on it and expect it to get all better. It took us a long time to get to where we are, it is a progress, not perfection, one day at a time. I qualified at 27, didn't come into recovery until I was 49, that is 22 years. This year, I will be 23 years clean and sober in August, my God willing. You would think I should be darn near perfect. I am still working the program, one day at a time, especially when it comes to food. I have to work on my emotional sobriety, and it has been a long time habit of shutting them off by stuffing with food. It was a coping skill, addiction allowed me to shut them down and stuff them.

As I was told in recovery, "Just because you have a feeling, doesn't mean you have to act on it." My action was make them go away, whether it was a pill, alcohol, food, relationships, etc.