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The Spoon Theory

What Is The Spoon Theory? The Spoon Theory is a personal story by Christine Miserandino. It introduces a new way to explain energy levels by using "spoons" as units of energy.  As a kid, it is difficult to describe how you are feeling to someone who does not have a chronic illness. How does one explain every single detail of how you feel every day living with these illnesses? Miserandino sat in a cafe and gathered spoons to use as units of energy. For people with chronic illnesses, energy is extremely limited and can go down very easily. As the day goes on, your energy level gets lower and lower until you cannot move.  Miserandino gave her friend the spoons and every time her energy lowered, she would take a spoon away. By the end of the day, her friend was all out of spoons but she was not able to do everything that she wanted. When she realized this, she started crying. She realized how precious time and energy is.  This theory has now been excepted around th
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Good Invisible Disability-Related Podcasts

Good Invisible Disability-Related Podcasts Some great podcasts that may get you to feel like you are understood.  1. The Hilarious World of Depression- Shines a light on the heavy subject of depression; comedians talk about how they cope with depression. 2. Invisible Not Broken- Monica Michelle discusses how she reinvented her career life after being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She also discusses her experience with rude people when parking in handicap spots. 3. Out In The Open- Talks about living with invisible illnesses and the emotional impact of it. Also talks about how the stigma prevents people from getting help. 4. The Curbsiders- Internal medicine doctors cover lots of invisible illnesses (diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.) and discuss diagnoses and treatment plans. 5. Diabetes Daily Grinds' Real Life Diabetes Podcast- Discusses day-to-day challenges of a diabetic. 6. Revolution Health Radio- Chris Kresser debunks mainstream myths about invisible i
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This Is How to Be There for Someone with an Invisible Illness

How to Be There for Someone with an Invisible Illness If you know someone who is struggling with an invisible disability, it is important to develop a level of understanding of what they are going through. Let them cry if they need to. Let them take off the mask they have and let out their frustration and pain. It is important to let them know that they are being heard and that you understand the crazy steps they need to take just to get through a simple day.  Try to understand that their actions are not to anger or hurt anyone; they are simply making decisions based on their health. Understand that if they say no to going out or getting lunch, it is not because they do not want to, it is because they are either in pain or do not want to aggravate their disabilities.  Don't always wait until they ask for help. Offering helping before the pain level gets too high is always really helpful and lets the person know that you care. Have patience. Understand that t
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6 Tips on Returning to School After a Chronic Illness Flare-Up

6 Tips on Returning to School After a Chronic Illness Flare-Up 1. Stop And Breathe Remember that there is a huge difference between "chronic" and "life-threatening." Chronic simply means that it will linger in your life but does not mean that you will always feel as bad as your worst moments. Changing your view on the word "chronic" is crucially in getting through the rough parts. Your illness is not your life; only a part of it. 2. Cut Yourself Some Slack Make sure that you are putting your health above everything. If you cannot work full time, then don't do it. If you cannot make it to your friend's birthday party, don't go. It is as simple as that. Do not be ashamed of taking care of yourself and knowing your limitations. 3. Make Arrangements With Work/School Talk to your doctor and what accommodations you will need at school or work and make sure you get a doctor's note to give to them in order to create a plan to bet
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This Is How Invisible Illnesses Impact Our Daily Lives

This Is How Invisible Illnesses Impact Our Daily Lives Living with an invisible illness is very tough because flare-ups can occur at any moment and prevent you from doing daily activities such as cooking dinner or hanging out with friends. I thought it would be interesting to get multiple perspectives on how impactful an invisible illness can be on someone's daily life. Here are a few quotes from people with different conditions: #MakeItVisible “Sometimes I don’t really know if what I’m saying is OK, or if whoever is listening even cares. My personality disorder makes me constantly question whether my behavior is acceptable and if the people around me actually want to be with me.” —  Shannon S., living with borderline personality disorder “Imagine having to stay home because it hurts too much to wear shoes. Then imagine that normal walking feels like it’s on two sprained ankles, but that is not enough to keep you inside, it’s the shoes. This is your new normal.” — Lorra
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Everything Happens For A Reason

This week's task is to find something that inspires you. The second I saw this quote, I definitely felt inspired: "I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so that you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." -Marilyn Monroe  (Credit: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/12379-i-believe-that-everything-happens-for-a-reason-people-change) This quote from Marilyn Monroe touches upon a topic that many people struggle with that can be applied to so many situations. At this time, people my age are struggling with figuring out what we want to do with our lives. Whether it's traveling, going to college, or going straight to working, people go all different sorts of paths in life. Sometimes, things don't work out and we don't end up where we want t
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