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One in 12 Americans Admit Driving While Possibly Drunk

More than 30 million Americans will hit the road this Labor Day weekend for one last summer road trip. But a new survey indicates many of those drivers admit they may be driving while under the influence of alcohol.

One in 12 American adults admit they may have driven while drunk within the last year, according to a new survey by FindLaw.com (http://www.findlaw.com/), the most popular legal information website. The survey found that 7 percent of American adults say they have driven within the last 12 months even though they thought they may have been over the legal blood alcohol limit for drinking and driving in their state.

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Recovery from Overeating

Columns - First Person

Written by Janice S.

Friday, 13 April 2007

As I drove home from work, I was overcome by a feeling of disgust. My stomach ached after consuming enormous amounts of cakes and cookies. I was stuck in traffic and as I became more agitated, I reached under the seat of my car and took out the empty bag from a previous snack, attempting to purge away my anger and pain.

I raced in the front door knowing I was late. My husband and children were dressed and ready to leave; we were going to spend the evening with family and friends. The children were anxious and excited, since it was Christmas Eve. I told them to go without me; that I was sick and needed to stay home. My husband refused and my children begged for me to go. I looked at their beautiful, innocent faces, knowing they were unaware of the person I had become and the painful secret I was hiding. My three-year-old daughter ran over, wrapped her arms around my legs and gave me the longest tightest hug ever. I knew I had to find the strength to go on, that this precious little girl was my angel. At that moment I knew I couldn’t go through with my plan; these children could not come home on Christmas Eve and find their mother dead. I had a bottle of Vodka and some sleeping pills and I hoped they would stop the pain. That evening I felt a desperation that defied explanation.

I wasn’t aware that I had an eating disorder. I just knew a size 16 was not the size I wanted to be. Life would be great if I weighed 115, a perfect size 6. I struggled for more than 15 years, starving for weeks at a time to be thin, only to binge again and regain the weight. I suffered in silence and did the best I could to raise my children. My husband was clueless, never hearing my silent cries for help late at night when I purged alone in the dark bathroom. No one knew the painful secret that ate away at my soul, forcing me to sink deeper into the darkness that I had become accustomed to. I awoke each morning, hoping the presence of my children would help me to feel grateful to be alive. I wasn’t grateful; I was angry bitter and resentful. I wanted to be thinner; I wanted control over my body, my food and my life. I wanted to feel alive, but my obsession with food kept me merely existing in a life that I no longer knew how to live. My children were growing up and experiencing confusion about life around them. Their friends were struggling with eating disorders and they came to me for guidance. I did my best to explain it to them, hoping to hide the intense guilt and shame that consumed me. What if they found out their own mother threw up at night while they slept? How could I ever face them again?

I don’t think on that Christmas Eve in 1993 I woke up intending to kill myself. I just remember driving home, knowing this was the last time I would ever binge and purge like that. Death seemed like the quickest way out, and at that moment, the easiest. My three-year-old angel and the beautiful faces of my other children changed all that. There was something more powerful than my food obsession, and I saw it through the eyes of a child. It was the miracle of life, of innocence and trust. When I walked in the door that night, their spirits began to shine, mommy was home. I knew I could never intentionally take this from them. I tried to enjoy Christmas and not fear the long road ahead of me.

On Dec. 28, 1993, I went to the bookstore and bought a book about eating disorders. The author was a compulsive overeater, anorexic and bulimic. She recommended Overeaters Anonymous (OA), and explained what the program was about. I was surprised to learn that OA is a 12-step program and is for anyone who wants to stop eating compulsively, binging, purging or starving. It is based on the same principles of Alcoholics Anonymous, changing the words alcohol and alcoholic to food and compulsive overeater. I thought I had to be obese to attend a meeting, but OA is for anyone who struggles with a food obsession, and I was surprised to see members with weights varying from normal to anorexic. OA is a support group, as well as a spiritual program, and does not suggest a belief in any specific Higher Power. The power of the group works well for many compulsive overeaters. OA is not a diet club, and does not endorse any specific food plan, rather, the group recommends asking a doctor or nutritionist for guidance to develop a healthy plan of eating.
I called for a meeting list and was at a meeting within a few days. My life changed that night because I discovered there is a solution for me. I found a safe place I could go to just sit and listen or share my secret life. I learned my secret was no different than the secrets of many others; we all shared the same struggles with food. I found unconditional love and acceptance in the OA rooms, realizing that other people could love me when I couldn’t love myself. I have had 12 years of recovery from my eating disorder and life has been an incredible journey. I have had some difficult times, but OA has reminded me that I am never alone. I no longer have to suffer in silence.

My children are young women now and I know they are proud of me. When I think of the day I wanted to end my life because of my food addiction, I am reminded of the many gifts the OA program has given me. I am grateful to be alive to enjoy my children and grandchildren. I am not ashamed of who I am or where I came from. I have incredible support from my husband and family, but it was the love of the OA fellowship that led me gently out of the darkness. They showed me the way to a happy, joyous and free life, one day at a time.
For more information on Overeaters Anonymous meetings, check your local telephone directory, or call 505-891-2664; or contact the group via email at the following addresses: www.over-eatersanonymous.org; or www.oa.org; www.suffolk.oa; or www.nassau.oa. For questions, guidance or support, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; or write to: Overeaters Anonymous, 6075 Zenith Court, N E, Rio Rancho, NM 87124-6424.