Spoon Theory
In this video NewLifeOutlook community member Jennifer Herrera explains the spoon theory and how it can helpful for both describing your condition and finding support.
Watch the video above to learn more about the spoon theory, or read the written summary below.
The spoon theory was born in 2010, when a teenager named Christine Miserandino was at a diner with a friend, trying to explain the pain she was experiencing living lupus.
She grabbed 12 spoons from surrounding tables, handed them to her friend and said, "Here, you have lupus."
Christine then asked her friend describe each thing she does throughout the day, taking away a spoon for each task. Very soon the friend had only six spoons keft, and she began to worry she wouldn’t have enough for the rest of the day.
Healthy people start each day with plenty of spoons to do accomplish what they want to, but chronic pain patients have a limited number of spoons, meaning they have to carefully choose each and every activity. If we do too much we run out of spoons too quickly and have no energy left for the rest of the day.
The spoon metaphor is now used all over the world to describe pain and fatigue caused by chronic illness or disability, and is a good way to find and connect with other chronic pain patients online. Hashtags like #spoonieproblems, and #spooniepain are a good place to start.
