Literature

Literature is one of the four core functions by which GreySheeters Anonymous World services ensures that everyone suffering from a food problem has the opportunity to try the GreySheet solution.

Traditional Literature

We read GreySheeters Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous literature to support our recovery. As our Group Purpose states, GSA was “founded and designed to discuss the utilization of the program of Alcoholics Anonymous in arresting compulsive eating.” A.A.’s program of spiritual recovery is introduced in the book Alcoholics Anonymous (a.k.a. “The Big Book”) and expanded in A.A.'s Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. These books help us to understand our spiritual disease and provide a spiritual solution.

Original Literature

GreySheeters Anonymous also produces its own literature, focused on the specific needs of compulsive eaters. Before any new literature is published, it must be approved by the GSA World Service Conference to ensure that GSA material is identifiably GSA in content according to GSA’s Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts of Service, responsive to identified needs of the fellowship, factually accurate, timely, and understandable to a broad-based audience. Literature published by GSA carries the Conference-Approved Literature (CAL) seal or statement.

The book Living Abstinent focuses on the practical aspects of staying abstinent one day at a time, no matter what. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of GreySheeters Anonymous provides a guide to working the Steps and Traditions in GSA.

In addition, GreySheeters Anonymous World Services, Inc. publishes short-form recovery literature, public information literature, and guides to service. Most of these booklets and pamphlets are available free of charge for you to to download and print for yourself or your group.

Where Do I Get GSA Literature?

Traditional literature is available from the Alcoholics Anonymous website and at many A.A. and some GSA meetings and events. You can order or download GSA Conference-Approved Literature on our Order/Download page.

Order Literature

What about the GreySheet Food Plan?

Only GSA Intergroups can purchase GreySheets from GSAWS. To protect the integrity of the GreySheet, GSA has created a Procedure Regarding the Distribution of GreySheets. If your group needs copies of the GreySheet for qualified sponsors to give to their sponsees, contact your Intergroup Service Representative. (You can find contact information for your ISR on the Intergroup Areas page.)

What about Third-Party Literature?

Individual members of GSA are encouraged to read any literature that supports their abstinence, but GSA as a whole cannot endorse, finance, or lend the GSA name to any outside enterprise (Tradition 6). In order to be sure that newcomers hear a consistent message at GSA meetings and events, we only read from or discuss GSA and A.A. Conference-Approved Literature, and we do not sell or advertise any other literature.

Meetings that are not GSA meetings, such as closed AWOL step study groups, may choose to use non-Conference-Approved literature from third parties or other fellowships if they make it clear to members that their materials are not CAL. Your sponsor can advise you further.