confession: quotes from Haggards letter to his church

I'm sure 1000's are blogging about this event. I'm sure it's struck a nerve. A few parts of his letter struck me too.

The fact is, I am guilty of sexual immorality, and I take responsibility for the entire problem.
...
I am a deceiver and a liar. There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I've been warring against it all of my adult life.
...
Through the years, I've sought assistance in a variety of ways, with none of them proving to be effective in me. Then, because of pride, I began deceiving those I love the most because I didn't want to hurt or disappoint them.
...
The public person I was wasn't a lie; it was just incomplete. When I stopped communicating about my problems, the darkness increased and finally dominated me. As a result, I did things that were contrary to everything I believe.

Of course it's easier to come clean and confess when you're forced to, but Haggard is taking full responsibility for his actions, which is better and more honest than playing the blame game. However, it's that last quote that struck a nerve in my own heart and thoughts: When I stopped communicating about my problems, the darkness increased and finally dominated me. As a result, I did things that were contrary to everything I believe.
It seemed that his lack of openess and confession set him up for defeat and failure. That's scary. I mean how many of us keep so many things in not to scare our friends or spouses with the darkness of our own souls. And yet it's openness that brings freedom - and the opposite feels like a prison cell.
James 5:16 helps us here... confess your sins to each other and pray for one another that you may be healed.
Confession leads to wholeness. I'd think that might include honesty to God, yourself, and others. But how would that look like in community and relationships? How would we share stuff before the crap hits the fan (sorry for the expression)? Imagine praying for each other's dark and repulsive parts as a way of healing and life, not just recovery, or post-oops-I-got-caught.
I really don't have this figured out, but it appeals to my sense of what healthy Christian community can facilitate and result in - grace that actually prevents rather than just corrects. Of course grace is available on both ends - but how beautiful when it creates a life of integrity rather then just compensating for hypocrisy.

thoughts?