Is there a difference between telling a friend and a romantic partner?

All of these responses make sense, except there is one issue I didn't mention in my original post. The person I'm crushing on is going to find out anyway. I just made an album with him, and one of the songs is about bipolar disorder.

For now I just have a professional relationship with him. I've been working with him for a while. We know each other well as professional musicians.

I have a tentative plan to use the song for advocacy purposes. (I'm sure people with bipolar disorder - or perhaps everyone - will have varying reactions to me doing this). But I want to do something meaningful with my music. Everyone else that has worked on the record with me already knows about my plan except this guy. And he's been asking me what my plans are when the record is finally finished in a few weeks.

This complicates things because on a professional level he deserves to know what's happening with the record, as he played a huge role in creating it with me.

Except I also really like him. And he gets flirty with me when we are not working and requested to have dinner with me outside of work. So I'm not sure what to do, or if it's wise to tell him as a professional? I may never get what I want personally. And he's going to find out soon either way.

I know I am overthinking this. I wish I could make him leave my head. I know mixing business and personal is bad. And nothing has happened yet... so thankfully this is all in my head for now. With any luck it will stay that way... or just go away.

I do want him to know me as me. I'm also tired of hiding and want to do something meaningful with my music. I've worked too hard to let it slip under the radar as just another song I wrote. GAH.

/r/bipolar Thread