Getting Started
The Big Book Awakening to Food Recovery is an in-depth, specific approach to a 12-step study, designed to take you through the 12-steps of Food Recovery as outlined in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. This Big Book Awakening (BBA) approach to Food Recovery step work will enable you to have a personal spiritual experience that you can pass on to others... to grow in understanding and effectiveness about AA's main original purpose, to discover your own truth and to live in the 9th step and 10th step promises. This approach is for compulsive overeaters, bingers, anorexics, bulimics, body obsessors, those suffering with dysmorphia or anyone who has an addictive problem with eating and body. The quality of recovery of those who have been through the BBA Food Recovery work displays a true program of attraction rather than promotion, guided by a God of our understanding. If you want what we have and are willing to go to any lengths to get it, you are ready
TO GET STARTED working the BBA Food Recovery approach to the steps.
Getting started will require that you find someone who has already done the BBA Food Recovery step work, to take you through the work either one-on-one or enroll in a BBA Food Recovery workshop.
Some answers to frequently asked questions…
"How do I find someone who has already gone through the BBA Food Recovery work?" We recommend that you attend a BBA Food Recovery MEETING online. There are people willing to take others through the work over the phone or via WhatsApp or other online apps or you may find someone to meet up with, live, in your area. Check out our CONTACT page for questions. You can also join this WhatsApp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/LmifT2VNu4r3A4R91emqkh which is specifically for finding a BBA Food Recovery sponsor.
"What's the difference between going through the BBA Food Recovery step work "one-on-one" or through a BBA Food Recovery workshop?" The BBA Food Recovery workshop concept is designed to take several people through the work at one time. When BBA for AA first started in San Diego there was (and still is) a flood of people wanting this way of recovery and since the demand is greater than the supply of one-on-one sponsors, those with experience were encouraged to take a group through the step work. BBA Food Recovery workshops are an effective and in-depth way to go through this specific approach to the 12 step work. Once you are committed to a BBA Food Recovery workshop you will pick a step-partner (not to be confused with a sponsor) that is someone you will be partnered up with who has gone through the work and will guide you through. However, it is highly recommended that if you can find a person to go through the BBA Food Recovery step work one-on-one, that you do so.
"How long does it take to go through all the BBA Food Recovery 12 steps?" It usually takes 5 - 6 months with approximately 2-4 hours of homework each week. Workshops meet once a week and are approximately 1 1/2 hours, plus you will need to meet an additional 1 hour, once a week, with your step partner to read the section of the Big Book together and share your answers from the questions. If you decide to work 'one-on-one' with someone it's usually about a 2 hour meeting once a week with your sponsor and/or step partner.
"What if I already have a sponsor in OA/ABA/FA/HOW/90 Day/GSA etc? Can they take me through the BBA?" Sure... but only if they've done the BBA Food Recovery step work themselves. If they have not, then it is recommended that you find a step partner to guide you through the work who understands this specific approach to BBA Food Recovery way of doing the steps. You do not have to get rid of your current sponsor, but you do have to find someone who has already done this specific BBA Food Recovery approach to the step work to take you through the work.
"Can my current non-BBA sponsor listen to my 5th step?" Unfortunately, no. There are questions that the BBA Food Recovery sponsor or a step partner needs to ask. Someone who is not familiar with this work is not going to understand how to guide a 5th step if they haven't done it this way themselves. We recommend that when you find your BBA Food Recovery step partner and/or sponsor, it is someone you are comfortable with.
"What if a BBA Food Recovery workshop started several months ago and I want to do a workshop?" You can only start a BBA Food Recovery workshop within the first 2-3 weeks after it has started. After 3 weeks, the BBA Food Recovery workshop is usually closed to additional people. It is really up to you and how desperate you are in need of recovery and if you want to wait for another workshop to start. We recommend that you don't wait and find someone who can take you through the work, one-on-one. Many times you can find someone who is willing to start 2-3 people through the work at the same time at their home. Either way, we can help you find someone who is willing to work with you.
"What if I have a number of years sober... why do I need to go through the steps this way?" Maybe you don't. This is a personal issue with how deep and effective your current program is. Time in the program doesn't mean anything, but the quality of your abstinence, sanity in all areas of your life and spiritual development are the questions you need to ask yourself. Can you relate to the bedevilments on page 52...abstinent? We never claim that BBA Food Recovery is the only way to have a deep and effective spiritual healing through the steps, because it is not the only way. This is just a way we have found to be more effective than any other way we have gone through the work in the past, or if we are new, to go through the work for the first time. We are hundreds of men and women with many years of abstinence and many who are new to recovery that have found BBA Food Recovery to be a new way of life with a solution based answer to all our problems. If you have attended a BBA Food Recovery meeting and like what you hear and want what we have, no matter how much time you have, then this gift is offered to you for free.
If you have a question about BBA Food Recovery that you do not see on this page, please feel free to email us and we will see it gets posted with an answer - BBA Food Recovery.
12-Step materials can be found on the TOOLS page.