A stint in the psych ward isn't something one might want to advertise to a prospective suitor. But it's precisely what 28-year-old Stefani Caminiti had to contend with when she started dating.
Caminiti, who was formerly diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety at age 18, spent three months as an inpatient in a psychiatric unit after attempting suicide in 2013.
![It can be difficult to know exactly when to discuss mental health issues in the delicate early stage of a relationship.](/web/20161018155105im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/2/o/m/r/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gs2o4o.png/1476519017527.jpg)
"I was really anxious [about bringing] it up," Caminiti said of her dating experience. "That was my own self-stigma. I can be a handful at times and I know that, but I can't stop myself from being like that."
Navigating dating and relationships while living with a mental health issue is challenging, however it's not uncommon.
![Stefani Caminiti was initially anxious about bringing up a mental health condition to her now fiance.](/web/20161018155105im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/2/o/d/j/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gs2o4o.png/1476519017527.jpg)
More than 4 million Australians reported they'd been diagnosed with a mental or behavioural issue, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures for 2014-2015. The most common problems reported were mood and anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Overall, 20 per cent of Australians suffer from a mental health condition, according to 2007 ABS figures, the most recent and accurate figures to date according to those in the industry.
Matt Garrett of Relationships Australia, agreed bringing up mental health issues at the early stage of a relationship can be painful and risky.
"Unfortunately mental illness, particularly if it's a severe and persistent mental illness, can freak people out. How do you know how someone's going to respond? Especially in a dating scene when you don't really know somebody all that well."
![Carlo Laruccia is no longer scared of dating after "coming out" to family and friends about living with bipolar disorder.](/web/20161018155105im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/2/o/d/c/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gs2o4o.png/1476519017527.jpg)
Caminiti was selective about who she revealed her mental health history to, when dating. "I've never really disclosed [it] fully until my current partner. That person that you tell has to be worthy of knowing your story."
Caminiti met her fiance through friends but waited eight weeks before having a frank discussion. "It just came up and I bit the bullet. If someone isn't going to accept me for who I am then they're not worth it."
Unexpectedly, her three-month stint in a psychiatric unit in 2013 proved powerful, enabling her to fully accept herself and expect the same from a partner.
"It was the best experience of my life. For the first time I didn't have to wear a mask. When you're denying part of yourself it's terrible," she said. "Know you're a worthy human to get what you want out of life and relationships."
According to a survey of 2140 people in the US, by psychguides.com, women are much more likely to disclose their mental health problems than men. Researchers found the type of mental health challenge influenced how much support sufferers gained from their partner. Those struggling with schizophrenia, addictive disorders or bipolar disorder were less likely to receive support.
It's something 42-year-old Melbourne-based Carlo Laruccia could vouch for. Fit, intelligent, articulate and interested in a committed, monogamous relationship, Laruccia would be attractive to many single women. However, living with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder since 2009 has made dating challenging.
"Dating after complex mental health experiences is tough," he revealed. "I was petrified of disclosing – it made me feel even more shameful and like there was something wrong with me. I hated it."
Aside from some short-term relationships, Laruccia, a former chief financial officer, and current speaker for Beyondblue and SANE Australia, has been single since separating from his wife in 2009.
"I was told by my first psychiatrist that I must tell a future date within the first five dates about my mental health experiences and diagnosis," he said.
"The whole process sucked. Before someone could get to know me for who I was as a person, I was having to talk about medications, relapse and my personal mental health experiences. Not cool. How dare society try and shut me down because of something I've gone through as a human being?"
Laruccia self-manages his health condition and has been medication-free for three years. While prospective dates might view his experiences negatively, he has come to see it as a gift and opportunity to learn and grow. "I've gained a whole lot of new skills," he said.
On his 40th birthday Laruccia "came out" publicly about his mental health condition to a crowd of 110 family and friends. "I didn't sleep for a month when I prepared my talk. After that there was this freedom of 'I don't care if anyone doesn't want to love me or accept me. I've finally accepted myself'."
Dating no longer scares him. "Before, I used to think, 'Am I good enough for another partner or women?' Now I look at a future partner and ask myself: 'Are you good enough for me?'"
So if you have a mental health condition, how essential is it to disclose it to someone you are dating?
Matt Garrett of Relationships Australia says the key question is the impact a mental health issue is likely to have on the other person.
"If it's something that's going to take you out of the relationship, then I think your partner needs to know that so they can decide if that's a journey they want to be on," he said.
Is there an ideal time in a new relationship to tell?
"It can be too soon and it can be too late," Garrett said. "Play it by ear. It's not the first thing you want to tell somebody on a first date. When you get a sense the relationship is turning that corner from just dating to more of a commitment – if you haven't by then – that is probably the time where you need to create a safe space and talk to your prospective partner; about what it might mean, and how you're going to manage."
"Also make sure you're nurturing your own hobbies and interests," he says. "If the dating scene goes a bit sour you need a really nice, safe beautiful place to go to."
Debbi Carberry, a clinical social worker and relationships coach, suggests no one should reveal a mental health condition to a prospective partner till at least after six dates.
"You don't even know the person. And then you go and give them some really personal data about yourself. You don't even know if you're going to have a long-term relationship with this person. Love doesn't discriminate. But human beings do," Carberry says.
"It's not about deception. It's about being discerning. If you're the sort of person who discloses early on – that person could really wound you.
"What if the person on the receiving end doesn't have the skills they need to be able to manage the disclosure?"
Carberry said it's a normal part of dating to display our best assets – like everyone else, those with mental health problems should feel free to show their best self.
"The more dates you have with a person before you disclose, the more they get to see you are compassionate, you are kind, you are funny, you are active, you are sporty. They get to see the smorgasbord of your delicious personality.
"We can't take a mental health issue in isolation. You have to take into account all the human being."
Caminiti agrees. "When you find someone who actually loves you for you, those details don't matter. Because they fall in love with you for you."
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