I tried coming out at 18. It didn't go so well. I told my best friend... who then never spoke to me again. It was embarrassing, we were doing the same training scheme and would bump into each other. He completely ignored me.
I was glad when that year was over, I went off to university and never saw him again. I do wonder about him sometimes, and did a little digging. He appears to have completely vanished.
After that, in my first year at uni I had an awful experience and nailed the closet door shut until I was 26.
I had a seizure that was... misunderstood by the people I was with and my own escape was to clam up completely about it for some years.
I did eventually talk to a therapist who gave me a good explanation, it just took some time.
I came out as bi to my partner of over a decade. They congratulated me, and because were monogamous, nothing else really changed. Then they announced that they “could lose me to anyone” jokingly. I shared the news with a few queer friends and we laughed at bi erasure memes.
I wish everyone’s coming out was as easy as mine, but it’s not, and my heart goes out to those who struggled, or still struggling to be who you are in front of everyone. We support you ❤️