Opinions on 12-Step Meetings?

[Luna_Moth]

I apologize if this is the wrong place to post this, but I was wondering about people’s successes with 12-Step Meetings.

I’m currently in ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional Families) and am looking into OA (Overeaters Anonymous) for binge eating. For those of you who have attended OA, has it made your eating habits worse or better? I would really like to know before I attend a meeting.

I just want to know if this has helped you heal from your trauma alongside your therapy.

 

[cdm]

Hi I found that the 12 step program helped a lot alongside therapy. It also gave me a support network of fellow friends & that has been one of the major bonuses of joining a 12 step program.

 

[MKEPaul]

I apologize if this is the wrong place to post this, but I was wondering about people’s successes with 12-Step Meetings.

I’m currently in ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional Families) and am looking into OA (Overeaters Anonymous) for binge eating. For those of you who have attended OA, has it made your eating habits worse or better? I would really like to know before I attend a meeting.

I just want to know if this has helped you heal from your trauma alongside your therapy.

My 12 step experience for gambling was a mixed bag. On the one hand, it was good to have some fellow travelers on that path. Especially when they reflect the "stories" we tell others and ourselves to permit future addictive acts. But when support devolved into judgmentalism, perfectionism, and aggression, those behaviors actually triggered my addict response and after 2 years, I nearly relapsed. They aren't professionals, even though some think they are. With GA, I stopped. 2 years on, I damn near failed bc of it. I wouldn't rejoin a 12 step community without concurrently being in an ongoing rship with a mental health provider whom **I trusted more** than the group. You can do this. Don't exchange the loss of agency addiction imposes for a loss of agency a 12 step group imposes. Bottom line, your best power is in rhe mirror and a mental health provider cued up on your fon. You can do this! You really, really can. (So do it)

 

[arfie]

it is dangerous to compare, but on many levels i found 12 step work to be far more valuable than private therapy. the group participation was especially helpful with my social anxiety. as with @MKEPaul. i also found them to be mixed bags. it's good to have an open mind, but not so open that your brain falls out. support groups are full of sick people, after all, but growing up with sick people didn't teach me as much as studying how to heal with them.

 

[Friday]

It was an interesting, and deeply useful, couple years of my life. For myriad reasons. None of them the purpose OF the meetings. I went, at first, because of a boyfriend, and secondly because it was expected in my line of work & I was “weird” for never having been through it. So everyone I worked with + boyfriend = I tried it. I stayed because of how useful it was. I left, because it wasn’t the source of my shit, “just” a common symptom.

am looking into OA (Overeaters Anonymous) for binge eating. For those of you who have attended OA, has it made your eating habits worse or better? I would really like to know before I attend a meeting.

Honey-chile…. Skip the OEA, and walk into the most badass eating disorders clinic in 200mi of you. Then? Do what they say. As an experiment, not because they’re trustworthy, or anything. Easy-on? Is easy-off. You can afford to experiment, for the result you want; but DO load the dice in your favor by walking your happy ass into the most premier/respected/badass place available. They’ll be dialled into the most helpful/useful groups, and point you at them, in addition to in-clinic help.

 

[Rose White]

I wouldn't rejoin a 12 step community without concurrently being in an ongoing rship with a mental health provider whom **I trusted more** than the group.

I agree with this. I was in two different 12-step groups. One for parents of addicted loved-ones (PAL) and one was AA. I found it really helpful to be around people who get it—especially for PAL. Just to be in their presence and be with people who had worked hard to help their children but still experienced the suffering was helpful and mind-opening—plus I found the ideas of how to interact with addicts very helpful.

But I think I would have had a hard time if it was my only source of mental health support. I had a great therapist at the time and definitely talked to her bout my experiences when I was attending the 12-step groups.

I personally disagree with Friday about eating disorder clinics. I also recovered from an eating disorder (it was restrictive/binge eating—mine is mostly in remission) and did not use an ED clinic (I used a dietician trained in “intuitive eating”, a modality that I found incredibly logical and effective— here is the website of the person I used, she works with clients worldwide—Nutrition for Hope) plus I know people who had bad experiences at ED clinics (with the calorie counting and “healthy eating”.). But that’s just my opinion—there are so many ways that individuals go about treating their symptoms.

 

[Friday]

I personally disagree with Friday about eating disorder clinics. I also recovered from an eating disorder (it was restrictive/binge eating—mine is mostly in remission) and did not use an ED clinic (I used a dietician trained in “intuitive eating”, a modality that I found incredibly logical and effective— here is the website of the person I used, she works with clients worldwide—Nutrition for Hope) plus I know people who had bad experiences at ED clinics (with the calorie counting and “healthy eating”.). But that’s just my opinion—there are so many ways that individuals go about treating their symptoms.

1. Totally respect the disagreement.

2. No eating disorder clinic I personally know of, counts calories. Not since the 80’s. (Similar to how no addiction program ties people to their beds and shoots them up with Thorazine…since the 80’s. Although BS ‘conversion treatment’ still uses antiquated disproven protocols). Instead? They’re multi-modal & multi practitioner; with dieticians, therapists, physical therapists, doctors, & nurses; with both 1:1 therapy, and groups… as a baseline… the better ones have a helluva lotta TF-everything. (Not just counseling, but TF-yoga, OB/Gyn, Dentists, Equine therapy, etc.. As eating disorders almost never present without co-morbid conditions, and serious trauma. So a single clinic gets you 6-20 different specialties, all working for you). There’s some culty-danger, there, which happens whenever/wherever “someone” provides at risk individuals with everything they need, and most of what they want.

3. Strong second on the intuitive eating!

 

[Rose White]

Not just counseling, but TF-yoga, OB/Gyn, Dentists, Equine therapy, etc..

Sounds like a dream! And the insurance to cover such a facility would be a secondary layer of the dream . Glad to hear such places exist in the U.S. Hope the OP can find something so supportive.

 

[Friday]

Sounds like a dream! And the insurance to cover such a facility would be a secondary layer of the dream . Glad to hear such places exist in the U.S. Hope the OP can find something so supportive.

Cha. The ED facilities in my neck of the woods outclass millionaire & billionaire & celebrity driven betty fords. No stigma is attached to ed, its pure med / not addiction med, so even McInsurance usually covers at 80-100%. That ALSO MEANS there’s a helluva lotta low rent scams. Hence my advice to the OP to find the best rated in their area. Same cost, either way, so? Find the top three in the state, and use one of those.