When you find a new partner you really vibe with, its supposed to be all sunshine and rainbows.

If youre in that position, youve likely spent a lot of time thinking about the big moment.

What if your new boyfriend or girlfriend doesnt want to deal with your lingering issues?

What if they dont understand?

This guidance is, of course, hotlycontested.

You cant choose when you fall in love, right?

I thought my life was overand quite literallywantedit to be, she recalled.

My mental health really took a nosedive that year; my already existing depression, anxiety, PTSDeverythinggot worse.

It affected me much more than I would have expected.

Shes worked through her feelings by researching andwriting abouther diagnosis.

Try not to rush into a relationship.

You and your health come first.

Plan what youll say

Sometimes the lasting effects of trauma will be evident.

No matter what, plan it out to the best of your ability in advance.

Plan to be as open as you could.

Bearing your soul can suck, especially when youre not sure how someone you care about will react.

You are doing the right thing for yourself and for your relationship and sometimes the right thing is hard.

It took about 20 minutes for me to blurt out that I had herpes and he literally laughed!

He was like, I thought somethingactuallybad happened.

Why did you make such a big deal out of it?

You are important and you got this.

I had to trust that he would continue being a safe place for my soul to rest.

I was scared of even the idea of being so enamored with someone who seemed to just fit.

He is kind and listens.

I have nightmares and panic attacks.

He, from the beginning, just held me while I cried and talked whenever I needed to talk.

We had open communication from the beginning and never shut down, she said.

While were partners, I know that that part of me is hard to see.

I respect him and he respects me, but our communication is always about honesty and being open.

That goes both ways.

Just as youre expecting your partner to listen to you, you gotta listen to them.

Communicate if they ask something too invasive or say something too critical.

Stick to your boundaries and respect theirs.

Then, go forth and let yourself be fully known.