Area Helplines & Websites

Louisiana Region

Serving the state of Louisiana

(585) DONT-USE/ Website/Today’s Meetings/Meeting Schedule

Acadiana Area

Serving the cities and surrounding parishes of:

Jeanerette, Lafayette, New Iberia, St Martinville

(585) DONT-USE / Website / Today’s Meetings /Meeting Schedule

Bayou Recovery Area

Serving the cities and surrounding parishes of:

Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, Plaquemine, Prairieville, Zachary

(225) 381-9609 / Website / Today’s Meetings / Meeting Schedule

Central Louisiana Area

Serving the cities and surrounding parishes of:

Alexandria, Pineville

(318) 448-7500 / Website / Today’s Meetings /Meeting Schedule

Greater Baton Rouge Area

Serving the cities and surrounding parishes of:

Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, Plaquemine, Prairieville, Zachary

(225) 381-9609 / Website / Today’s Meetings / Meeting Schedule

Lake Area

Serving the cities and surrounding parishes of:

Lake Arthur, Lake Charles, Leesville, Sulphur

(337) 439-5753 / Website / Today’s Meetings / Meeting Schedule

New Orleans Area

Serving the cities and surrounding parishes of:

Algiers, Harvey, Houma, New Orleans, Terrytown

(504) 899-6262 / Website / Today’s Meetings / Meeting Schedule

North Louisiana Area

Serving the cities and surrounding parishes/counties of:

Bossier City, Columbia, Farmerville, Homer, Monroe, Ruston, Shreveport, Springhill, Winnsboro

(585) DONT-USE / Website / Today’s Meetings / Meeting Schedule

Northshore Area

Serving the cities and surrounding parishes of:

Amite, Bogalusa, Covington, Franklinton, Greensburg, Hammond, Mandeville, Ponchatoula, Slidell

(877) 554-8308 / Website / Today’s Meetings / Meeting Schedule

Unity Area

Serving the cities and surrounding parishes of:

Chalmette, Harvey, Kenner, LaPlace, Metairie, New Orleans, Thibodaux

(585) DONT-USE / Website / Today’s Meetings / Meeting Schedule

July 28, 2021

Secrets and intimacy

Page 218

"We feared that if we ever revealed ourselves as we were, we would surely be rejected."

Basic Text, p. 32

Having relationships without barriers, ones in which we can be entirely open with our feelings, is something many of us desire. At the same time, the possibility of such intimacy causes us more fear than almost any other situation in life.

If we examine what frightens us, we'll usually find that we are attempting to hide an aspect of our personalities that we are ashamed of, an aspect we sometimes haven't even admitted to ourselves. We don't want others to know of our insecurities, our pain, or our neediness, so we simply refuse to expose them. We may imagine that if no one knows about our imperfections, those imperfections will cease to exist.

This is the point where our relationships stop. Anyone who enters our lives will not get past the point at which our secrets begin. To maintain intimacy in a relationship, it is essential that we acknowledge our defects and accept them. When we do, the fortress of denial, erected to keep these things hidden, will come crashing down, enabling us to build up our relationships with others.

Just for Today: I have opportunities to share my inner self. I will take advantage of those opportunities and draw closer to those I love.

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