Spoon Theory living with chronic fatigue

I had a discussion on my Eat On Warfarin, Face Book page last week.   A story was mentioned that I had not heard for a while.  It is a simple and brilliant theory which explains what it is like living with sickness and chronic fatigue.  This is The Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino.

How do you explain extreme fatigue that comes with illness and recovery when it can’t be seen?  So often, sickness and disabilities are invisible to others.  It can seem like; someone healthy doesn’t understand the pain, suffering or exhaustion that comes with illness. Christine Miserandino came up with the theory which explained to a friend what life is like for her managing her energies with Lupus. Using the metaphor of spoons as units of energy, you can see clearly how difficult it is to manage her day.

Let me explain how this theory was especially relevant in my recovery from a Stroke.  On the outside, I may have looked healthy and that I made a full recovery.  On the inside, I was exhausted, scared and struggling.  As a result I found myself experiencing panic attacks and was on the borderline of depression.  I was told about the Spoon Theory; from this I learned how to best manage my energy each day.  I learned how to cope better and accept that I had to find ways of managing my energy effectively to recover.

Christine Miserandino, has used a metaphor of Spoons to demonstrate how she coped with Lupus to a friend.  The Spoon Theory was born.  It is used often to explain the amount of energy used to fulfil everyday tasks while coping with chronic fatigue. What happens once all the spoons have been used?  Then someone with a disability or illness has to find a way of replenishing their spoons.

So are you starting the day with a big pile of spoons? How are you going to manage your number of spoons throughout the day?

Read the full article on The Spoon Theory and view Christine’s website here: https://butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/