Re: Your secret - I've tended to date younger guys most of my life - not that I set out looking for them, but that is who I attract. Can understand the nervousness but as another noter said, just be your beautiful self.

On the bipolar part - the last guy I dated (and at the time we were talking marriage) I was going to share this with him because, as you do, I believe in total honesty. One night before I had a chance to do so, he said that it was wonderful to be with me because his ex-girlfriend was bi-polar and ON MEDS!! He made the "on meds" part sound like a crime. He went on to say how up and down she was in her emotions. I was thinking that her issue *may* have been not taking her meds. I'll never know. But it showed me this guy was totally uneducated on mental illness.

I did a lil "probe" and said: "So my emotions don't seem to vary?" and he said "No, you're very stable" then he looked at me funny and said "You're not on meds are you?" (Again his hang-up with meds.) I told him I was and then gave him at least a half-hour mini-educational lesson on mental illness - particularly depression & bi-polar - etc., etc.

The timing of this disclosure was interesting because we had a pre-marital counseling session with my pastor the next morning and one of the things asked of us was if we had any health problems - we both said no. Then my pastor said, "including mental health?" So, I had to disclose again, but was SO thankful I had already covered this with my fiance so he wouldn't be hearing this for the first time.

Bottom line for me - I don't go out advertising my illness, but in a situation where a possible on-going relationship is being formed, I feel they have the right to know, and vice versa.

(As it turned out, I ended up breaking the engagement with this guy - nothing to do with my illness. He turned out to be portraying himself as someone he wasn't.)

Sending warm thoughts to you!