Disclosure to people outside the medical sphere?

[lizbeth27]

I refuse for my mental health to be a dirty little secret, after bottling it up for so long in the past and knowing the damage that this did, and knowing how wrong it is. Why should we be expected to essentially hobble around and take the blame for something out of our control?

But it's often a lose-lose thing for me. I kind of feel like I have to, because the times I'm around people they're immediately are like "what's going on with her?" and either block me out or start to target me. I'm very polite, and a quiet person that hasn't acted out yet but I'm not very good at hiding that I have a problem. Usually I just end up leaving situations when it gets to that point -- because I can tell when it's probably not going to help anything, and that's most of the time. The annoying thing is that I feel like I have no choice because they put all this stuff on my natural personality, and I can't have people thinking I'm stupid, and rude and everything and attacking me when I'm already hanging on by a thread because it's just not fair or true at all. And then when I talk about it they don't want to know, and act like I'm basically spilling my soul for the fun of it and trying to get attention when they were the ones with the problem.

 

[Faustino]

I've always spoken openly with very close friends about my issues...it just so happens that since moving to a different culture/country over a decade ago, the nature of relationships here isn't the same, so I'm struggling with true communication here. Maybe it's actually a good thing, though, as I'm being forced to confront things that back in the UK I used to gloss over with often artificial bonhomie. Not having that pressure relief, I'm now in therapy as it's the only place I've found where somebody pays attention to what I'm saying

 

[ILoveLife]

I tell everyone I know about my diagnoses. Lol
I really don't care. If they react badly they are not supposed to be in my life.

 

[blackemerald1]

No..I don't tell IRL ppl., except for medical who have to know for a purpose. But apart from that it's a bit like what you see is the real me for now.
I cannot control what others will do with information and that is scary. So I don't tell.
But I like it that way too.:)

 

[katz]

Way back when I told my family, they all got angry at me. I just pretend it doesn't exist when I'm around them.

I told my husband once, before we got married. He still married me--but I think he would have said "no" if he knew what it involved. I don't talk to him about it at all. I just use my journal and this forum. Thanks for listening everyone. I have felt alone for as long as I can remember.

 

[EveHarrington]

I envy anyone who can hide this crap successfully! God knows I can’t.

 

[blackemerald1]

I don't hide it. But I don't tell it either. It's not possible for me to hide anything or everything.

I guess that means I have not participated in a lot of things I could have or maybe would have. I don't know.

I don't lie about it.

I avoid I think. It's not safe for me so I work around ppl., I have done this for a long time. I think it works for me. But it might not work for other ppl., It's just what I do.

It doesn't mean that everyone will be comfortable doing it this way. :)