Type 2 (The Helper) and Step Two of Overeaters Anonymous:
Step Two: “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
For a Type 2 (The Helper), who often focuses on giving love and support to others while neglecting their own needs, Step Two is about learning to trust in a Higher Power and recognizing that they don’t have to do everything on their own. Type 2s frequently base their self-worth on how much they are needed and how much they give to others. This can lead them to overextend themselves, use food for comfort, and feel disconnected from their own spiritual and emotional well-being.
Here’s how a Type 2 can work Step Two in Overeaters Anonymous:
- Acknowledge That Their Self-Worth Doesn’t Come From Giving to Others:
- Type 2s often believe their value comes from being indispensable to others. They may struggle to see themselves as worthy of love and care unless they are giving to someone else. Step Two invites them to understand that their worth is inherent and that they don’t have to earn love.
- Recognizing that a Higher Power loves and cares for them unconditionally, regardless of how much they give to others, is essential for restoring balance.
Reflection question: “How can I begin to believe that my value comes from who I am, not from what I do for others?”
- Trust That a Higher Power Can Restore Balance and Emotional Sanity:
- Because Type 2s are prone to emotional overextension, they may use food to cope with feelings of exhaustion or rejection. Step Two is about trusting that a Higher Power can help restore emotional balance, so they don’t have to carry the burden alone.
- Letting go of the idea that they must “fix” or “help” everyone and learning to trust that they are supported by a Power greater than themselves can bring peace.
Reflection question: “How can I trust that a Higher Power can help restore balance in my life, especially when I feel emotionally depleted?”
- Learn to Receive Love and Care from a Higher Power:
- Type 2s are naturally giving but often struggle with receiving love and support. Step Two is an invitation for them to open themselves up to receiving love and care from a Higher Power.
- Believing that they are worthy of receiving, rather than always being the giver, is a key part of restoring sanity.
Reflection question: “What would it look like to allow myself to receive love and care from a Higher Power instead of always trying to give?”
- Let Go of Control and the Need to Be Needed:
- Type 2s often feel that they must be needed by others to feel secure, which can lead to over-committing and using food to cope with feelings of emptiness. Step Two encourages them to let go of the need to control relationships and outcomes.
- Believing that a Higher Power can take care of them, just as they take care of others, allows them to release the pressure they put on themselves.
Reflection question: “How can I release my need to be needed by others and trust that a Higher Power is guiding me?”
- Develop Faith in Something Greater Than Their Own Efforts:
- Type 2s often feel responsible for ensuring others’ happiness and well-being, which can lead to burnout and turning to food for relief. Step Two is about recognizing that they don’t have to rely solely on their own efforts.
- Faith in a Higher Power can help them understand that they don’t have to do everything by themselves—that there is support available to them if they open themselves to it.
Reflection question: “How can I begin to develop faith that I don’t have to do everything myself and that a Higher Power can help me?”
Summary:
For a Type 2, Step Two is about learning to let go of the need to be indispensable to others and beginning to trust that they are supported by a Higher Power. By believing that they are loved for who they are, not for what they do, and by allowing themselves to receive love and care, Type 2s can begin to restore emotional balance and find sanity in their relationship with food. Trusting in a Power greater than themselves allows them to release the burdens they carry and focus on their own healing.