How do you know when it's okay to come out?

Only a few people I trust know of my cyclothymia. There's always a chance someone will let the cat out of the bag and everyone will find out. To the extent that I can control the flow of information, how can I decide when it's okay to come out?

I'm thinking about this because I am in a real life meeting place discussion group that has nothing to do with mood disorders. A new participant introduced herself and talked about being dysthymic. She's about 23 years old and was so unconcerned about the rest of us judging her, I can't help but admire it and wish I had the same acceptance of my problem myself.

Maybe I'm really asking how do I get there from here. What does there look like so I can compare it to here and possibly chart a course? Of course, I should think about whether that's what I really want to do.

personally I'm an open book, I find it much easier if people know I have a problem so they understand why I act strangely at times.

Did you become an open book or is it just natural to you? Was there a time when you had to come to grips with your issues yourself before letting others in on them?

nope, I've just always preferred to be open about things.

it's odd, but despite having so many anxieties I could care less what people think most of the time. and like I said, I generally find people to be a little more understanding about why I'm strange some times if they know there's an actual reason and that I'm not just being a jerk.