Depressed people need people who are willing to sit there and just BE there and not EXPECT any kind of interaction, but be willing for it if it happens.
I never know how to ask for that. “Hey, I’m glad you invited me to the party but could we maybe just sit around my messy apartment on Saturday night instead?… No, I know I’m an extrovert–Yes, I love parties and I know I haven’t seen that whole group of friends in awhile—I really, really WANT to go, but, I mean, would you mind skipping it to come watch me wash some dishes? Maybe we can order a pizza?”
spoons?… Is that her making excuses, like, “Oh, I don’t have spoons, I have dirty dishes, might as well not have people order (I have definitely over-worried during my depression to my detriment)
Or is it a typo? Or an in-joke I haven’t noticed in previous comics? >_>;;
“Spoons are an intangible unit of measurement used to track how much energy a person has throughout a given day. Each activity “costs” a certain number of spoons, which will only slowly be replaced as the person “recharges” through rest or other activities that do not require (or even refill) spoons. A person who runs out of spoons loses the ability to do anything other than rest. One of the tenets of the spoon theory is that people with disabilities or chronic illness must plan their daily activities to conserve their “spoons,” while healthy, able-bodied, and/or neurotypical people have a “never-ending supply of spoons” and thus have never needed to worry about running out.”
I have a roommate who has explained this to me before.
I know you were joking, but it’s so frustrating when I try to explain Spoon Theory to friends or co-workers, and they say “Well, just go down to Starbucks for a coffee, and you’ll have more spoons!” No. Just…no…
Sometimes online life helps. I find personal interactions exhausting and–mentally ensoring? prickly? stressful?–for other reasons besides depression. Hanging out at well-moderated forums and blogs makes up a large part of my social life. I can walk away and come back later without seeming rude. I can just shut down without having to explain why. Also I can write a response in a text file and look it over before sending.
I have felt the most profoundly alone in the midst of a group of people I knew. They seemed like puppets blindly acting out a play in which I had no role.
It’s less painful and confusing to be alone when no one else is there.
This has been me for basically the past two years. I’m finally starting to enjoy the aloneness, but now being around people is more tedious and exhausting than ever. FUN LIFE YAY
“260” #webcomic #feedly http://t.co/EfDCfy0Zdx
Depressed people need people who are willing to sit there and just BE there and not EXPECT any kind of interaction, but be willing for it if it happens.
I miss people who do that. It’s been a while.
I never know how to ask for that. “Hey, I’m glad you invited me to the party but could we maybe just sit around my messy apartment on Saturday night instead?… No, I know I’m an extrovert–Yes, I love parties and I know I haven’t seen that whole group of friends in awhile—I really, really WANT to go, but, I mean, would you mind skipping it to come watch me wash some dishes? Maybe we can order a pizza?”
This is me at the moment
spoons?… Is that her making excuses, like, “Oh, I don’t have spoons, I have dirty dishes, might as well not have people order (I have definitely over-worried during my depression to my detriment)
Or is it a typo? Or an in-joke I haven’t noticed in previous comics? >_>;;
Or am I being anxious and over-thinking it?
Taken from Wikipedia:
“Spoons are an intangible unit of measurement used to track how much energy a person has throughout a given day. Each activity “costs” a certain number of spoons, which will only slowly be replaced as the person “recharges” through rest or other activities that do not require (or even refill) spoons. A person who runs out of spoons loses the ability to do anything other than rest. One of the tenets of the spoon theory is that people with disabilities or chronic illness must plan their daily activities to conserve their “spoons,” while healthy, able-bodied, and/or neurotypical people have a “never-ending supply of spoons” and thus have never needed to worry about running out.”
I have a roommate who has explained this to me before.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_theory
http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/
Sigh.
Those are the worst…. you gotta practically crowbar yourself out of the house just to be able to get out of that loop
She doesn’t have spoons? Someone buy this lady some spoons!
Not those spoons. http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/
I know what it means. Was trying to put a positive beat on things. May have made someone at least smirk.
Maybe we should call her Lobelia, and give her an umbrella. 🙂
I know you were joking, but it’s so frustrating when I try to explain Spoon Theory to friends or co-workers, and they say “Well, just go down to Starbucks for a coffee, and you’ll have more spoons!” No. Just…no…
So. Much. This.
Sometimes online life helps. I find personal interactions exhausting and–mentally ensoring? prickly? stressful?–for other reasons besides depression. Hanging out at well-moderated forums and blogs makes up a large part of my social life. I can walk away and come back later without seeming rude. I can just shut down without having to explain why. Also I can write a response in a text file and look it over before sending.
Yikes. Vicious cycle.
So true :/
http://t.co/yZKsY0VCnZ
I have felt the most profoundly alone in the midst of a group of people I knew. They seemed like puppets blindly acting out a play in which I had no role.
It’s less painful and confusing to be alone when no one else is there.
260 https://t.co/oKbXfpuTDY via @depressioncomix
This has been me for basically the past two years. I’m finally starting to enjoy the aloneness, but now being around people is more tedious and exhausting than ever. FUN LIFE YAY
Isolation breeds depression breeds isolation https://t.co/4tgXkeDZzQ via @depressioncomix
Maina Melendez
I think you, Tony and I should get together and color together one of these days. Im usually up late =P
These help me understand what my S.O. goes through. Thank you
The worst kind of vicious circle