Overeaters Anonymous: An Overlooked Intervention for Binge Eating Disorder

The purpose of this communication is to provide an overview as well as the strengths and weaknesses of Overeaters Anonymous (OA) as an intervention for binge eating disorder treatment. Binge eating disorder is associated with low remission rates, high relapse rates, treatment dissatisfaction, and high rates of failure to receive treatment attributed to stigma, misconceptions, lack of diagnosis, access to care, and inadequate insurance coverage. New interventions are needed that can overcome these barriers. OA is a twelve-step program and established fellowship for individuals who self-identify as having problematic relationships with food or eating. OA can be referred clinically or sought out by an individual confidentially, without a diagnosis, and free of charge. OA’s Nine Tools, Twelve Steps, and Twelve Traditions can provide structure, social support, and open, anonymous sharing that fosters a sense of connection and belonging. This may provide benefit to individuals who value structure and social support in their recovery. The tradition of anonymity may also create some challenges for conducting research and may explain the shortage of empirical support. This commentary reviews existing research findings on the effectiveness of twelve-step interventions and OA. Common misunderstandings about and within OA are also addressed and OA’s limitations are discussed. Overall, OA provides a promising option for binge eating disorder treatment that warrants clinical research on its feasibility and efficacy in a way that respects and protects its tradition of anonymity.

A Corpus Linguistic Study of 12-Step Program Literature

Research indicates that the language used in addiction matters; therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether differences in discursive and psychological processes exist in 12-step texts used for substance and behavioral addictions. Using a synchronic corpus linguistic design, writings on the first step of Alcoholics Anonymous, Debtors Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, and Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous were analyzed using LIWC2015. The log-likelihood ratio test was used to examine if differences exist between the six texts, with post hoc analysis to further examine differences. Bayesian information criterion was used to measure effect size, which ranged from weak to very strong. Statistically significant differences exist in analytic, authentic, emotion tone, first-person singular pronouns, first-person plural pronouns, third-person singular pronouns, third-person plural pronouns, male, and biological process words. Results demonstrate that differences exist in the broad psycholinguistic, specific linguistic, and psychological and physical process words used in the texts. This research is the first study to compare linguistic components of different 12-step programs, which often fill a gap created by lags in research. Findings may have relevance to writers of 12-step literature, clinicians who provide treatment, and researchers who study substance use and behavioral addictions, and individuals with these issues.

Die utopischen Sicherheitszwänge Süchtiger und das Wagnis der Anonymität

Eine ethnographische Studie bei selbstorganisierten Gruppen wie Gamblers Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous und Overeaters Anonymous zeigt auf, wie sich Betroffene im Umgang mit der Krankheit „Sucht“ gegenseitig unterstützen. Basierend auf dieser Studie verfolgt der Beitrag die These, dass das Phänomen der Sucht in einem Sicherheitszwang aufgeht und aus Unsicherheitsvermeidung resultiert. Hiervon ausgehend wird diskutiert, aus welchen Umständen heraus Personen pathogene Formen zwanghafter Unsicherheitsvermeidung entwickeln und welche Bedingungen geschaffen werden müssen, damit sich einmal entwickelte Sicherheitszwänge wieder auflösen lassen. Im Zentrum der Diskussion steht die Rolle der Anonymität, die die Betroffenen als kommunikatives Steuerungsinstrument in ihren Gruppen einsetzen.