A Place to go When your Cutlery Draw is Empty.

In 2003 Christine Miserandino came up with the Spoon Theory as a way to describe living with Lupus. Spoons represented the energy needed to deal with every day tasks and how chronic illness forced her to plan her day before hand to make sure she didn't run out of energy - or spoons - before the end.

I have no idea how she came up with the idea of spoons representing energy, but it's a metaphor that struck a chord and one that has been co-opted by people trying to discuss various conditions and issues, from mental health to marginalisation.

Whilst those who most need the metaphor do live with chronic conditions, every now and then those of us who maybe don't have to worry about the number of spoons we have will, upon occasion, go to the cutlery draw and find we're out of spoons. Here's the real kicker: when that happens, we're not used to it. We expect there to be enough spoons and finding out that there suddenly isn't can be pretty hard to deal with. What do we do next? We just don't have the first clue! What are you going to do, eat your ice cram with a butter-knife? You’re not some savage!

This is why the Samaritans can be such an amazing organisation. They are able to be there for you when you need the support that you may not necessarily have due to the fact that normally your draw is overflowing with spoons. I'm a big fan of the work they do, and the approach they take to helping people. And you don't have to get in touch with them in the last moment, when all is bleakest, and you're at the very edge. You can reach out when things feel just too much to cope with. They're there to give you that extra support.

What I’m trying to say is that getting in touch with the Samaritans doesn’t mark you out as some kind of ‘drama queen’, or as someone who can’t cope, it’s just a way of talking to someone about what’s on your mind.

Call 116 123

Other ways of contacting them: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

TFT