Nugget, the only person you have to protect, is yourself. Anyone else, becomes a choice really. Veiled hit it on the head mate... tell what you feel comfortable telling, leave the rest alone. Family is one thing, friends... well, you soon find out who they are, and aren't. I find that most people really don't want to know the gory details, because whilst they think its cool and interesting, they then get shocked with the anger that comes with it from me. My son says crap too me at times, when I just want to beat him senseless. He thinks watching people die, and heads blown off, etc etc, all cool to him. Obviously when he see's it for himself, he won't think its so cool. But TV is real to him at the moment... I am just waiting until he lives life a bit.

Some people are just sticky noses, some are interested because they want to know how to help you, and without knowing what is wrong, it makes it awful hard to help. Some just piss in your pocket and run away when the going gets tough. Judge people for who they are mate, who you think they are, and see how they handle things. Some people might want to help you because they care, others just want to know because they don't know...

To be honest, I still use the old bait and watch technique with people, just to see what reaction I get from them. I give them something that nobody else knows, and if it comes back too me in a month or two, guess I can't really trust them after all. I know that is nasty, but to be honest, people don't surprise me anymore.