I think my binge eating really started in high school, even though I didn’t have words for it back then. I was the girl who looked “fine” from the outside, went to class, hung out with friends, smiled in pictures… but inside I was constantly thinking about food, my body, and how out of control I felt around eating.

I would promise myself every morning that today would be different.

Then night would come.

And somehow I’d end up standing in the kitchen eating in this weird numb panic until I felt physically sick. Sometimes I’d cry after. Sometimes I’d just sit there staring at the wrappers feeling completely disconnected from myself.

College made it worse.

Stress, loneliness, comparison, late nights, trying to be perfect all the time… binge eating became the way I coped with everything. Bad grade? Binge. Fight with someone? Binge. Felt anxious? Binge. Felt empty? Binge. Even happy moments somehow turned into binges too.

The hardest part was how isolating it felt. I genuinely thought something was wrong with me as a person. Like I just didn’t have enough discipline or self-control.

But eventually my mental health got so bad that I realized I couldn’t keep living like that.

Not because of weight.
Not because of appearance.
But because I was exhausted.

Exhausted from hiding.
Exhausted from obsessing over food 24/7.
Exhausted from feeling ashamed of myself.

Recovery has been messy and emotional and honestly one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But for the first time in years, I actually feel present in my own life again. My brain feels quieter. Food doesn’t feel like this giant monster controlling every thought anymore.

I still have hard days. I still get urges. But now I pause instead of immediately spiraling. And that small difference has slowly changed my life.

If you’re struggling with binge eating right now, I just want you to know you’re not weak, dramatic, or broken. A lot of us are carrying pain we never learned how to process any other way.

You deserve recovery even if your brain keeps telling you otherwise.

Would really love to hear other people’s stories too. What finally made you decide you needed to recove

90 days binge free today. Honestly, I used to think recovery would feel like some huge dramatic transformation, but it’s been quieter than that. It’s waking up without shame. It’s not negotiating with yourself at night. It’s realizing food stopped feeling like an emergency all the time.
The biggest thing I’ve learned is that binge eating usually wasn’t about “lack of discipline” for me. Most of the time it was exhaustion, loneliness, stress, perfectionism, or just wanting relief for a few minutes. Once I stopped treating myself like the enemy, recovery actually started becoming possible.
A few things that genuinely helped me:
Making urges feel temporary instead of catastrophic
Eating enough during the day instead of “earning” food
Removing the all-or-nothing mindset after setbacks
Tracking patterns without shaming myself
Having something calming to turn to in the exact moment an urge hit
Recovery still isn’t linear, but my mind feels quieter now. That alone is worth everything.
For people further along in recovery:
What helped the most after the first few months?
Did your urges eventually get less frequent, or did you just get better at responding to them?
What’s something you wish you knew at day 90?

https://howitworksgroup.com/daily-readings/

Welcome to this non-real-time meeting of Overeaters Anonymous!

I'm u/Cali-W I’m a compulsive eater and your leader for this meeting.

Will those who wish, please join me in the Serenity Prayer:

>"God grant me the serenity
>to accept the things I cannot change,
>courage to change the things I can,
>and wisdom to know the difference."

Overeaters Anonymous is a Fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, strength, and hope, are recovering from compulsive overeating. We welcome everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively. There are no dues or fees for members; we are self-supporting through our own contributions, neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations. OA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology, or religious doctrine; we take no position on outside issues. Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors and to carry the message of recovery through the Twelve Steps of OA to those who still suffer.

Our Invitation to You

The Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous

Abstinence in Overeaters Anonymous is the action of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight. Spiritual, emotional, and physical recovery is the result of living the Overeaters Anonymous Twelve Step program.

The OA tools of recovery help us work the Steps and refrain from compulsive overeating. The nine tools are: a plan of eating, sponsorship, meetings, telephone, writing, literature, an action plan, anonymity, and service. For more information, read The Tools of Recovery OA page.

Sponsorship is one of our keys to success. Sponsors are OA members committed to abstinence and to living the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions to the best of their ability. Sponsors share their program up to the level of their experience and strengthen their recovery through this service to others. To find a sponsor, look for someone who has what you want and ask how he or she is achieving it. Will all abstinent sponsors please identify themselves in their post?

According to our Seventh Tradition, we are self-supporting through our own contributions. Our group number is 99038. Please use the group number when making your contribution. As our virtual group currently has no expenses please consider donating directly through this link to the OA World Service Office, who provides resources for OA groups all around the world to carry the message to other compulsive overeaters.

Suggested guidelines for sharing: As you share your experience and strength in OA, please also share your hope. Please confine your sharing to your experience with the disease of compulsive eating, the solution offered by OA, and your own recovery from the disease, rather than just the events of the day or week. When responding to other member’s posts, please focus on your personal experience rather than advice giving. If you are having difficulties, share how you use the program to deal with them. If you need to talk more about your difficulties and seek solutions, we suggest you speak to your sponsor and other members after the meeting.

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This is a literature meeting. Today we are studying the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous Page 46 WE AGNOSTICS Chapter 4

>”We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express even a willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power, which is God.”

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Closing: By following the Twelve Steps, attending meetings regularly, and using the OA Tools, we are changing our lives. You will find hope and encouragement in Overeaters Anonymous. To the newcomer, we suggest attending at least six different meetings to learn the many ways OA can help you. The opinions expressed here today are those of individual OA members and do not represent OA as a whole. Let us all reach out by private message to newcomers, returning members, and each other. Together we get better.