In my thought, the suffering against oneself is the least necessary. Suffering at the whim of someone else is inevitable if you take part in society, through either direct or indirect action taken against you. I am not perfect at not harming myself. Emotionally, I do it all the time. But the first step to change is realization.

Everyone has different motivations when telling their story because in the depth and variety of our experiences, there are infinite consequences, both internally and externally. There is no one right time or right way to share your story. That time and method are yours alone, just as your experiences are.

Parts of my story were immensely difficult to tell and required a zero-consequence scenario. I told my story then because I was prepared to cut ties with this entire account if necessary. I agonized over telling for a long time. I had to quit posting for a while afterwards, just to take time to myself and try to work through the feelings.

My only advice if you want to be careful about disclosing information about yourself is to take steps to protect your identity online. If you are afraid, leave yourself a way out. It will make the process easier.