Media Category: Spiritual

Introduction

“Our way of life, based on these Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, has brought us physical, emotional and spiritual healing that we don’t hesitate to call miraculous. What works for us will work for you too.” —read the full Introduction to the Twelve Steps.

The Twelve Steps of Overeaters Anonymous

1. We admitted we were powerless over food—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to compulsive overeaters and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Permission to use the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous for adaptation granted by AA World Services, Inc.

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Spiritual Principles in the Twelve Steps

A spiritual principle is associated with each of the Twelve Steps.

Listen to these podcasts to learn more:

• The Importance of Working all 12 Steps
• In All Our Affairs
• How and Why does a 12-Step Program Work for Compulsive Eating

For an in-depth study of the Twelve Steps, read The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition available from our bookstore.

The Spiritual Principles of the OA Program

The Overeaters Anonymous Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts of OA Service have Principles related to them. They are listed here:

The Principles in the Twelve Steps

(as listed in Step Twelve of The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition)

• Step One: Honesty
• Step Two: Hope
• Step Three: Faith
• Step Four: Courage
• Step Five: Integrity
• Step Six: Willingness
• Step Seven: Humility
• Step Eight: Self-discipline
• Step Nine: Love
• Step Ten: Perseverance
• Step Eleven: Spiritual Awareness
• Step Twelve: Service

The Principles in the Twelve Traditions

(as listed in the The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition)

• Tradition One: Unity
• Tradition Two: Trust
• Tradition Three: Identity
• Tradition Four: Autonomy
• Tradition Five: Purpose
• Tradition Six: Solidarity
• Tradition Seven: Responsibility
• Tradition Eight: Fellowship
• Tradition Nine: Structure
• Tradition Ten: Neutrality
• Tradition Eleven: Anonymity
• Tradition Twelve: Spirituality

The Principles in the Twelve Concepts of OA Service

(as listed in The Twelve Concepts of OA Service)

• Concept One: Unity
• Concept Two: Conscience
• Concept Three: Trust
• Concept Four: Equality
• Concept Five: Consideration
• Concept Six: Responsibility
• Concept Seven: Balance
• Concept Eight: Delegation
• Concept Nine: Ability
• Concept Ten: Clarity
• Concept Eleven: Humility
• Concept Twelve: Guidelines
  • (a) Selflessness
  • (b) Realism
  • (c) Representation
  • (d) Dialogue
  • (e) Compassion
  • (f) Respect

Blessed Beyond Anything

“Having worked the Twelve Steps, what did I learn about the Principles?

Honesty. I learned to look truthfully at ugly things that I am powerless over yet make my life unmanageable.  It takes honest vision to fully understand there is a problem and that I have no way to solve it myself.

Hope. I came to believe I can have a relationship with a Higher Power who can do things for me that I can’t and that I can be restored to sanity.  There is hope that the painful parts of my life can change and that HP has a better plan for me.