Enneagram Type 6 (The Loyalist) and Step Two

For Enneagram Type 6, working Step Two in Overeaters Anonymous involves confronting the role that fear and anxiety play in their relationship with food. Type 6s may use food to calm their anxieties or to feel secure, but Step Two asks them to believe that a Power greater than themselves can restore them to sanity and bring them the sense of security they seek.

1. Admit That Anxiety and Fear Can’t Be Controlled Through Food:

Type 6s often use food to calm their fears and anxieties. Step Two requires them to admit that using food to control their fear doesn’t lead to peace and that only a Higher Power can restore them to true sanity.

• Reflection question: “How have I used food to try to manage my fears and anxieties, and how has this approach kept me stuck?”

2. Recognize the Unmanageability of Trying to Control Uncertainty:

For Type 6s, life can become unmanageable when they try to control uncertainty by relying on food for comfort. Step Two asks them to believe that a Higher Power can help them find peace even in the midst of uncertainty.

• Reflection question: “How has my need for certainty or control over the future affected my eating habits and created unmanageable behaviors around food?”

3. Acknowledge That True Security Comes from a Higher Power:

Step Two encourages Type 6s to believe that real security doesn’t come from food or external sources but from trusting in a Power greater than themselves.

• Reflection question: “What would it feel like to let go of my constant need for security through food and trust in a Higher Power for safety?”

4. Surrender the Fear of Being Unsupported or Unsafe:

Type 6s often fear being unsupported or unsafe, and they may use food to cope with this fear. Step Two asks them to surrender the belief that food can provide the security they need and to trust that a Higher Power will support them.

• Reflection question: “How has my fear of being unsupported or unsafe driven my eating behaviors, and how can I begin to surrender this fear?”

5. Trust in the OA Process and the Power of Letting Go:

For Type 6s, Step Two is about trusting in the OA process and believing that they don’t have to control everything. Letting go of their fears and trusting in a Higher Power allows them to find real peace and balance.

• Reflection question: “How can I trust that by letting go of my need to control and allowing a Higher Power to guide me, I will find true safety and healing?”

Summary: Type 6s work Step Two by admitting that their need to control fear and uncertainty through food is unmanageable. By trusting in a Higher Power, they can let go of their anxieties and find true security and balance in their lives.