(Excerpted from "Sexual Anorexia" by Patrick Carnes)
|
Affirming love behaviors: acts
that show emotional and moral support for the person we love; that show
respect for and have a high value of the person we love.
|
Expressing love behaviors: tones
of voice, gestures, postures and facial expressions that show our love.
|
Verbal love behaviors: words, pet
names and phrases that show our expressions of love.
|
Self-disclosing love behaviors:
acts and words revealing intimate facts and unique aspects; being open and
vulnerable.
|
Tolerating love behaviors: acts
showing an acceptance of the less pleasant aspects of the other - and doing
so without judging the partner.
|
Tactile love behaviors: physical
contact demonstrating loving affection and loving sexuality
|
Object/ gift love behaviors:
giving gifts that demonstrate how much we care for our partner.
|
Receptional love behaviors: acts
and words that show that we appreciate and acknowledge when any of the
previous behaviors were done for us.
|
Reception skills:
|
1. Actively identifying and focusing on each expression of love as it
is shown by your partner.
|
2. Avoiding discounting (putting down or ignoring) the expression of
love when you notice it.
|
3. Giving appropriate comments that show you did notice and appreciated
the expression of love.
|
Open To Change is a fellowship of individuals who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common challenges with relationships and help others to recover from the compulsive avoidance of intimacy (i.e. sexual, social or emotional anorexia). The only requirement for membership is a desire to replace deprivation with abundance in the areas of love, intimacy and relationships. Open To Change is a 12 Step Fellowship.