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One of the many times that I was forced to engage in self disclosure was when I felt compelled to inform a friend that I had previously dated a girl he was currently dating. My goal was to be truthful with my friend and avoid a very awkward situation. Because this had been my friend for almost 10 years at this point he was relieved that I had told him ahead of time before someone else did. At no point did I regret giving him this information because I prefer to always be honest with my friends. The risk I ran disclosing this information was the girl he was dating being upset that I spilled the beans. My only concern was the reward of keeping my friend was informed and our friendship intact. Overtime I have realized that self disclosure is always the best course of action. It builds trust between you and everyone you deal with.
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One time I engaged in self-disclosure with my boyfriend about my mental illness. My goal was to have him understand my mental illness and learn how to help me in my time of need.
Thankfully my self-disclosure was received very well. He now helps me in my time of need, because he has a better understanding of what I am going through.
I do not regret my decision to self-disclose, as I feel like it has brought the two of us together more personally. By self-disclosing, you tell others that you trust, respect, and care enough about them and your relationship to reveal yourself. (Joseph A. DeVito)
The risk could have been my boyfriend not being willing to date someone with mental illness. The reward ended up being in a more stable environment with someone who now knows what I am going through, and fully supports me.
My self-disclosure has changed over time by me being willing to open up to my boyfriend about anything now. Now that he has knowledge of my issues, he can better understand me.
