Acropora, I understand what you mean about the diagnoses potentially ruining your life in the wrong hands. For example, my neighbours already dislike me, and my landlady is friendly with them, and listens to their gossip rather than finding out what's really going on. I've had to ask an agency that helps people with mental illnesses to mediate between me and my landlady... now I'm worried because she definitely knows, from the remit of the agency that's helping me, that I have a "severe and enduring mental health problem." On the other hand, the agency offers me protection, and will serve my interests with housing needs... perhaps it will now be harder for my landlady to get rid of me, since to do so would betray prejudice.

But yes, I do live in anxiety about people knowing. So far my family know, though my father's in denial, a friend from church (a clinical psychologist) and my minister and his wife. Other than that the people who know are those who are involved with me as part of a support team.

Thank God I live in England, where support is easier to come by.