I’ve installed the book Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness on my iPad.

The author has a number of physical illnesses that aren’t visible to the eye. Yet her advice could also help individuals living with mental health issues.

Her no-nonsense advice about when to disclose to a romantic partner is specific to those of us with physical woes. Yet it might just be good practice for those of us with mental health conditions too.

A therapist has told me not to disclose too quickly.

You can see my blog entry at the Left of the Dial blog for my take on this: reel the person in on your fishing line with your real self apart from the illness. After they’ve taken the bait, introduce mental health into your conversations.

Talk about how Kanye West has revealed he has bipolar. Talk about a person in your own life who has an emotional illness. Then bring up your own diagnosis in the bare-bones way. You don’t have to reveal every single detail of the symptoms you’ve had.

Ilana Jacqueline’s refreshing take on disclosing early in the dating game intrigued me though. How soon is too soon? How long is too long to wait?

It depends on what your gut or your intuition is telling you is the right time to reveal your condition.

Either way, Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness is a short yet informative read that I’m confident could benefit mental health peers in other ways too. Like for disclosing on your job and requesting a reasonable accommodation. And for creating a job where you can work from home.

Tomorrow morning I’m going to give this book 5 stars on Amazon.

I recommend this book without reservation.