Stay in the Lifeboat

What is a lifeboat?
A ship's boat,
designed to be readily able
to rescue and maintain persons
from a sinking vessel.
For a compulsive overeater,
what is the equivalent?
What is necessary to stay afloat
on rough seas of Recovery?
The nine tools are a Plan of Eating,
Sponsorship, Meetings,
Telephone, Writing,
Literature, an Action Plan,
Anonymity, and Service.
Until 1995 Abstinence was listed
instead of a Plan of Eating.
The understanding since then
has been that Abstinence
is inherent in our primary purpose
set out in the preamble:
”Our primary purpose
is to abstain from compulsive overeating
and to carry this message
of recovery to those
who still suffer.”
Abstinence is much more than a tool.
Abstinence is our Primary Purpose,
our lifeboat to rescue and maintain us
from the sinking vessel
that brought us to O.A.,
compulsive food behaviors.