I am an open person by nature, so I told my then boyfriend, now husband, an awful lot up front about my mental stability and physical disabilities during the first days we knew each other. I did that because previous potential boyfriends ended the relationship when life with me got too hard, i.e. when they saw me as 'broken' or 'damaged goods', and I think that it's better that I be up front about what I have to give in a relationship before that fella starts wanting to get too close to me. Unload the weak men!

I did not give him the gory details of my traumas until later.

The man i married didn't even blink when I told him what kind of woman I am. He had been married before to a woman he had to put in the state hospital by force because she refused to acknowledge problems. I am just the opposite--I seek help for my problems the minute i notice them and I am not afraid to acknowledge that i have mental and physical problems. They are simple truths and facts. My husband saw how I deal with all my imperfections, and he was cool with it.

I am not a secret-keeper, by my nature. I will tell anyone very private things just as the facts they are. We are all adults here. Not everyone is that candid, so don't force yourself to reveal more than you feel comfortable with. Spoon it out little by little, and watch for choking.