If there’s one thing I’ve learned in recovery it’s that I have a disease of disconnection. Even though I’m not the best connector, I know I need the support of other people, especially when I’m making uncomfortable but necessary changes. For a while, my identity hinged on the not doing of something – not drinking. I celebrated one-week, one-month, one-year anniversaries of not drinking. While there was considerable satisfaction in these milestones, I felt bad that so much of my energy went into the not doing of something.

When I heard there was a program that promoted healthy eating so people could feel more comfortable in their bodies, I knew exactly what they meant. Although I was done with alcohol, I was still always searching for the next little fix, food, sex, or thrill of any kind. But after the rise there was always the crash.

At Suppers I have been taken under wing by a community of “food sleuths.” The members form therapeutic friendships based on helping each other get their needs met so their bodies can heal. This is how we do service. In my case, the help I needed most was finding out which foods were my worst triggers for craving baked goods and which foods put me in a quiet good mood (square meals, like roasted turkey, yams, and greens). I also needed help getting over feeling sorry for myself because I did go through a period of feeling deprived.

Suppers doesn’t ask much of me. The clearest, easiest thing I can give to the program is provide friendship services and support the growing population of people who look to their diet and lifestyle for solutions.