Type 2 (The Helper) and Step One:
For Enneagram Type 2, working Step One in Overeaters Anonymous means recognizing how their deep need to be needed and loved often leads them to neglect their own needs, including their relationship with food. A Type 2 may use food as a way to soothe feelings of rejection or depletion from over-giving to others.
- Admit Powerlessness Over Food as a Way to Soothe Emotional Deprivation:
- Type 2s often struggle with putting their own needs last, which can lead to using food as a way to fill an emotional void.
- Admitting powerlessness means acknowledging that turning to food for comfort or love is no longer working and has led to unhealthy patterns.
Reflection question: “How have I used food to soothe feelings of loneliness or unappreciation when I’ve given too much of myself to others?”
- Recognize the Unmanageability of Self-Neglect:
- Because Type 2s are focused on helping others, they often neglect their own self-care, which can result in an unhealthy relationship with food.
- Admitting that constantly prioritizing others has left their life—and their eating habits—out of control is key.
Reflection question: “How has neglecting my own needs and focusing on others led to an unmanageable relationship with food?”
- Acknowledge the Need for Receiving, Not Just Giving:
- For Type 2s, admitting powerlessness also means recognizing that they need to learn how to receive care and love, including through support in OA. They can’t always be the giver.
- Step One encourages them to surrender the need to be needed by others and focus on their own healing.
Reflection question: “What would it feel like to ask for help and let others support me in my struggles with food?”
- Surrender the Fear of Rejection or Not Being Loved:
- Food might be a way Type 2s avoid facing the fear of being unloved or rejected. Admitting powerlessness means surrendering that fear and accepting that overeating won’t fill the void.
- Letting go of the belief that they need to serve others to be loved is a key step.
Reflection question: “How have I used food to cope with my fear of being unloved, and how has that made my relationship with food unmanageable?”
- Trust in the OA Process and the Importance of Self-Love:
- For a Type 2, Step One also means learning to trust that healing comes from self-love and reliance on a Higher Power, not from constant service to others.
- By trusting the OA process, Type 2s can learn that their worth isn’t tied to how much they give to others, but rather in learning to care for themselves.
Reflection question: “How can I begin to trust that my worth isn’t based on what I do for others, and that it’s okay to take care of my own needs?”
Summary: Type 2s can work Step One by acknowledging how their need to give to others has led them to neglect their own needs, using food to fill emotional gaps. By admitting their powerlessness over food and receiving support, they can learn to prioritize their own self-care and trust that their worth isn’t dependent on serving others.