OA after surgery?
If this is too personal of a question feel free to ignore it or pm me.
I am wondering how many post ops attend OA after surgery and do you find it helpful?
If you do do you still go to the RNY support groups?
I personally have never attended OA. But I am always open.
I am wondering how many post ops attend OA after surgery and do you find it helpful?
If you do do you still go to the RNY support groups?
I personally have never attended OA. But I am always open.
**SHELLY** HW: 316 SW: 256 GW: 125 CW: 118
I know several post ops who attend or have attended OA. I attended one meeting and will probably pursue this further. OA helps us to deal with the addiction part of the eating patterns that led us to morbid obesity - and surgery doesn't help with the emotional/mental/spiritual part of the addiction.
Now, not every obese person is a food addict, I know. But I am, and especially in the maintenance phase, I think OA could be very helpful.
Now, not every obese person is a food addict, I know. But I am, and especially in the maintenance phase, I think OA could be very helpful.
I am 19 mos post op and have been attending OA for just over 2 years. I began attending to take care of the "mental/emotional/spiritual" part of recovery from morbid obesity. (hate that word morbid... I like the word "fat" much better).
I attend weekly. Had a sponsor for a little while - but I'm not quite ready to do "step work" - and that is what the sponsor is for. Not being ready is my self-assessment - didn't have anything to do with my sponsor. I love the meetings. It isan opportunity for me each week to listen to people speak their truth about their experience, strength and hope. I also pipe up from time to time.
My learning has been how much I underestimated the mental/emotional/spiritual part of my relationship to food. OA has "tools" of recovery from food addiction and/or compulsive overeating, anorexia, bulimia - etc. The tools include meetings, sponsorship, service, reading, meditation - there are a bunch of tools One tool not listed is "weight loss surgery." But I just add it to my list of tools because the surgery is a treatment option. But I do need to keep using many of the tools to stay in recovery.
I've only ever attended one meeting of OA, but there are many different meetings everywhere - and though similar, they are all a bit different. So in my area, the tuesday night group is the only one I attend. I look forward to attending different ones when I go on vacation. Also, I recently started attending an AA group with someone in my family who has that issue. It is an open meeting so it is okay for me to go. I LOVE those meetings because people are so much more aware and "out" about alcoholism. Food addiction is not really understood nearly as widely as other addictions - and some don't believe there is such a thing. The intellectual merits of the argument are easy to get caught up in. I just try to stick close to knowing that the meetings, tools and things like that are very helpful to me. I have no idea if such a thing as food addiction exists. I just know that at times I had no control when it came to certain food. Those foods seemed more powerful than me.
I don't attend any rny support group and never have. But I do enjoy this website and have gained a TON of support. I sometimes think it would be great to have an OA style meeting just for WLS people - because WLS is not really understood even by OA folks. Unfortunately, some OA folks would not view it as a tool. At least it seems that way to me.
Having said all that - I am just speaking about my experience - and can't really speak for OA.
Good question. Glad you asked. Hope this helps.
I attend weekly. Had a sponsor for a little while - but I'm not quite ready to do "step work" - and that is what the sponsor is for. Not being ready is my self-assessment - didn't have anything to do with my sponsor. I love the meetings. It isan opportunity for me each week to listen to people speak their truth about their experience, strength and hope. I also pipe up from time to time.
My learning has been how much I underestimated the mental/emotional/spiritual part of my relationship to food. OA has "tools" of recovery from food addiction and/or compulsive overeating, anorexia, bulimia - etc. The tools include meetings, sponsorship, service, reading, meditation - there are a bunch of tools One tool not listed is "weight loss surgery." But I just add it to my list of tools because the surgery is a treatment option. But I do need to keep using many of the tools to stay in recovery.
I've only ever attended one meeting of OA, but there are many different meetings everywhere - and though similar, they are all a bit different. So in my area, the tuesday night group is the only one I attend. I look forward to attending different ones when I go on vacation. Also, I recently started attending an AA group with someone in my family who has that issue. It is an open meeting so it is okay for me to go. I LOVE those meetings because people are so much more aware and "out" about alcoholism. Food addiction is not really understood nearly as widely as other addictions - and some don't believe there is such a thing. The intellectual merits of the argument are easy to get caught up in. I just try to stick close to knowing that the meetings, tools and things like that are very helpful to me. I have no idea if such a thing as food addiction exists. I just know that at times I had no control when it came to certain food. Those foods seemed more powerful than me.
I don't attend any rny support group and never have. But I do enjoy this website and have gained a TON of support. I sometimes think it would be great to have an OA style meeting just for WLS people - because WLS is not really understood even by OA folks. Unfortunately, some OA folks would not view it as a tool. At least it seems that way to me.
Having said all that - I am just speaking about my experience - and can't really speak for OA.
Good question. Glad you asked. Hope this helps.
ps. my therapist had an interesting insight. She said that all addictions are based in shame. People with alcohol, narcotic or gambling addictions carry shame about what they do. But peope with food addiction issues have shame about who they are! Yes - I can say that is true for me. Still journeying. 8)
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