Commitment and love are powerful experiences on their own, but when the two are combined something remarkable happens. This was not an overnight matter as many of us struggled for years with unbearable internal pressure. Our perfectionism led to distorted ideas as to what love and commitment were about. We could not live with these impossible standards and so we found a way out. Commitments then became painful reminders and we sought to escape them. Many of us doubted our
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This section contains documents on a wide range of topics related to recovery and Fellowship life. These documents include informational materials, guidance pieces, and resources designed to support understanding, participation, and service. Whether you are looking for clarity on a specific subject or practical material to share, you will find helpful, ready-to-use resources gathered here in one place.
This list is a list of volunteers who have stepped forward to support newcomers to the Fellowship or members who are struggling and who need extra support. The current members on the list have identified themselves as willing to be a contact for people who are in need of assistance. They are people who have experienced the struggle of having an eating disorder and who have recovered using the ABA Program.
We, the Board, wanted to reach out to the Fellowship to talk about the purpose of General Service Representatives (GSRs) and why they are so important. First, GSRs provide an essential service to the meetings and groups of ABA.
It was decided between the GSR members that we would embark on an inventory process because we had repeated questions arising about whether we (as GSR’s) still had value and whether the GSR was still relevant. We also were questioning whether we were helping the still suffering ABA members (Tradition 5) and how we could go about ensuring this was happening.
The General Service Association (GSA) of ABA is a non-profit society incorporated under the Societies Act of the Province of Alberta in 2003. It consists of a Board of Directors elected for a two-year term by ABA members at the Annual General Meeting in March. The Board includes between seven and twenty Directors, roughly half of whom are ABA members. Ideally, the other half are people from outside ABA, some of whom have experience in other 12-Step Fellowships.
You are reading this letter because someone who knows you felt moved to ask you to consider participating in a special service opportunity: service on the Board of Directors (General Service Association) for Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous (ABA). Perhaps you belong to a 12-Step Fellowship, perhaps you are aware of someone ho has benefited from the 12-Steps, or perhaps this is your first introduction to this life-saving program.
This is an open meeting of Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous. We welcome all of you, and particularly any newcomers. In keeping with our primary purpose and our Third Tradition, which states that “the only requirement for A.B.A. membership is a desire to stop unhealthy eating practices,” we request all who participate to limit their sharing to problems related to their eating disorder.
The literature of ABA refers at times to gatherings of our members as "Meetings" or "Groups," and at times uses the term "Home Group." These terms are not interchangeable, yet many ABA members are confused about how to distinguish among them. This document will define the concepts and explain the key features that make each of them different from the others.
Like all 12-Step Fellowships, ABA uses a “we” program, and our unity is our most precious attribute. The message we carry to the anorexic or bulimic who still suffers must be simple and clear to avoid confusing anyone or blurring the unique nature of ABA.
Thank you for volunteering to receive calls from newcomers. Here are some important suggestions for taking these calls. Remember that you may be the newcomer's first contact with ABA and how you receive the call reflects on ABA as a whole. (Recall how important your first contact with ABA was to your recovery).
“What do you mean by ‘sobriety’?” “How do you get sober?”
These two questions are probably the ones most commonly asked by newcomers to Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous. Our unique path to recovery is based on our definition of the “drug” to which we are addicted, the concept of “sobriety,” and our common method of achieving sobriety by obtaining meal-support from other people. It is no exaggeration to state that our very existence as a united Fellowship depends upon these t
Sponsorship in Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous: This document will not repeat what is written in our basic textbook on the subject of sponsorship, but rather will elaborate on certain other aspects of the subject and, in particular, provide specific and practical guidance to interested members.
Many people contact the GSA inquiring about how to obtain an ABA sponsor. Although we have no definitive solution to the vitally important problem of finding experienced sponsorship in a Fellowship as young and new as ABA, here are a few suggestions:
People from all over the world come to the virtual meetings looking for recovery from anorexia, bulimia, and related eating disorders. If the worldwide need for recovery from eating disorders is so extensive, then starting more virtual meetings seems to be the logical solution.
Here are guidelines for being the chairperson of an ABA meeting including who can chair, how to prepare, and how to choose a “sober member” to tell their story if needed. Some of the suggestions are for online meetings however most suggestions apply to face-to-face meetings also. Chairing a meeting is a good way to do service.
