[MtaTJac]

Does anyone in your family know about your OA meetings?

My husband knows about them and has been very supportive! But I haven't told anyone else in my family yet, I just don't think they'd be very open to the idea in general.

[WaterWater]

I have told my husband and he is supportive, but at the same time, I think he is not completely taking this seriously, if that makes sense. He is a COE also and he has been listening intently as I talk and agreeing with me on so many points. However, I think he is thinking that maybe I am taking this a bit too seriously?? It is hard to explain. He loves me dearly and I know that he will support me in all that I do, but I do not think HE is ready to admit that food is such a problem and that is leading to him not taking OA very seriously.

I did mention it to my brother over the weekend also. I was hoping to get a little extra support from him because he has attended AA for a while. His only comment was, "there is an anonymous for everything now -- we all have addictive personalities." I don't know if he did not want to discuss it further because of his own addiction or ???

I am still struggling with step 1 myself so I guess that I can't really get upset with anyone else for not taking it seriously either. I KNOW I have a problem, but I keep reverting back to thinking that maybe I can handle it myself, or maybe I just don't care, or maybe it would be easier to just be fat and happy I am struggling, so I can understand why they are.

They will come to believe when they see that I am serious and how OA is changing my life.

(sorry to have rambled so!)

[marny]

I struggled with this too. OA is a safe place. The rest of the world, including your some of your family, isn't going to be as understanding, loving, or helpful as people in OA. Try to keep that in mind when sharing with others so that you don't set yourself up to be hurt. At first I only told my husband. After a while I told my mom and mother in law. A while later I told my good friend and massage therapist. That's pretty much where I'm at. There are still family and friends that I'm not ready to talk to about it.

Now that I've had some success with the program, believe in it fully, understand parts of it, and have confidence in it, I'm becoming more willing to share with family and friends.

Try to remember what a new idea the concept of food addiction was to you. You had the benefit of people, meetings, and literature to help you understand it. When you present it to someone, it's just as new for them, and they don't have all the resources that you do to process it.
Their minds may be clouded with their own addictions to make it even harder to accept.

[MtaTJac]

Originally Posted by marny

Now that I've had some success with the program, believe in it fully, understand parts of it, and have confidence in it, I'm becoming more willing to share with family and friends.

What a wonderful way to put this! Because even while I've admitted I have a problem, understanding it and believing in the program is still a tough place for me!

[marny]

It takes time. Understanding it, working the steps, being abstinent, it's all a process that happens over time. I've had 60 days for this stuff to get straight in my head. I can't even imagine the clarity and understanding that I'll have 60 days from now!