What to Expect? – OA Sunlight

What exactly is an OA meeting like?

First of all: deep breath. There’s nothing to be nervous about. You will be welcome. You’ll find you are not alone anymore. Everyone at the meeting knows where you’re coming from about food. Here’s what happens at a typical meeting, but all meetings are a little different.

Once you’ve found a meeting that you want to check out, you show up. Set aside an hour for your meeting. Consider this “you” time. You’ll meet others like you with a simple first name introduction and be genuinely welcomed. Get yourself settled with the group to enjoy various readings, members sharing their journeys, and learning more about OA. Participate as much or as little as you want. You are welcome to share but you don’t have to. If you have questions, you can talk with individual members after the meeting. Congratulations—you completed your first meeting!

But, wait. What about the weigh-in? What about paying a membership fee? There’s none of that. When people become members, they often voluntarily contribute, but it’s never required. We promise.

So, to recap, at OA there’s …

No weigh-in
No membership fee
No judgment
No religion (we’re a spiritual group)
A safe place for everyone (all genders, races, ages, sexual orientations, sizes)
A program that works
Hope
…and there are people who will understand

To find the meeting that works for you we suggest you try a variety.

Meeting Definitions

Meeting with Visitors (Open)

Open to everyone, OA members and non-OA visitors. All meetings are considered open to visitors unless stated otherwise.

Meeting without Visitors (Closed)

Restricted to those who desire to stop eating compulsively. This includes newcomers, OA members and others who think they have a problem with food.)

Specific-Focus

Meeting: Designed for individuals who may feel they can more readily identify with fellow members of Overeaters Anonymous with similar attributes.

Specific-Topic