People’s Responses & Outside Appearance Doesn’t Show Everything…

What do you see when you look at someone? What thoughts come to you?

So many of us are going through our own issues and we tend to forget or act too selfishly that others are going through their own issues also, when we are asking for some empathy, understanding or even compassion and respect, plus especially kindness and love.

Sometimes or more times than none, Judy complimenting someone or opening the door for someone is something that shows them someone in our world, in our society cares. How does this make sense, if you may ask?

Well the voices that come with something like mental illness, they tend to constantly remind us that no one cares, especially at times when our loved ones and even coworkers tell us things like:

• We are here for you.
• You are not alone.
• We love you.

Phrases like these are used from loved ones, coworkers & others; yet our voices convince us otherwise and it can take a lot of strength to not give into that power of their voices. The voices may be part of being human but when you experience enough symptoms and signs of one or many mental illnesses, the voices become unhealthy.

And it can be hard enough to listen hard enough to hear your actual voice trying to over-speak the rest of the voices to help save you from yourself. Have you ever experienced anything like this before? Does this sound familiar to you? Any similar experiences?

Well millions of people are fighting these voices (though many call these voices: demons) or demons in their heads every single day and if you look up the term: The Spoon Theory;

• Definition: The spoon theory or spoon metaphor is a disability metaphor (for a combination of ego depletion, fatigue, and other factors), a neologism used to explain the reduced amount of mental and physical energy available for activities of living and productive tasks that may result from disability or chronic illness.

It’s a theory founded/created by Christine Miserandino, which I first discovered while reading: “The No Bull-Shit Guide To Depression” by: Steven Skoczen being mentioned in the book.

The spoons as described that in which represent as units of energy; it means that people with chronic and mental illnesses, have less spoons than normal people do in a day. Sometimes we have to sacrifice doing certain things so we have enough spoons left to end the day.

In a blog titled “The Spoon Theory,” Christine Miserandino describes how she showed her friend what it’s like to have lupus. (The autoimmune disease often causes fatigue, fever, and joint pain, among other symptoms.) While sitting at a diner, Miserandino handed her friend 12 spoons. These represented units of energy.

And not only are there millions of people suffering and living with mental illness and even other illnesses and diseases, many may not be so visibly shown on their outside appearance. Also not just people like us who experience these issues but celebrities too. Hey remember: they probably got their diagnosis before they became famous…

Like for many of us, our parents remind us: “never judge a book by its cover”. It’s a good thing to remember when communicating with other citizens.

Sometimes that’s not what somebody needs. Sometimes somebody just needs to be heard. ~ Chyler Leigh (Alex Danvers, Supergirl)