How many spoons do you have?

I know Spoon Theory has been around a while but it wasn't until recently I began to think of it as a possible part of ADHD. When I googled, I found even more ideas about forks vs spoons and I think I fall somewhere in between. I DO feel I have a limited amount of energy each day to really get stuff done, and once I'm out of spoons, I'm done. I also think of forks as all those little annoying things that get in your way of trying to exist throughout the day and that last little lobster fork might push me over the edge of being DONE!

I can't say I've heard the term spoonie until I googled. You familiar with this?


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A client and I have been using the metaphor of spoons to refer to the energy needed to get stuff done. I have been enjoying using this metaphor. When I asked my client if I could use this metaphor in a blog post she not only agreed to let me use it but also informed me that Spoon Theory is not her original idea. I read up on what the real Spoon Theory is and will now relay to you, dear reader, what it is and how it applies to us ADHDers.

One day Christine Miserandino was asked by a friend what it is like to live with Lupus. She grabbed every available spoon she could at the diner where they were eating. Giving the spoons to her friend, she told her to start talking through an average day. Every time her friend mentioned a task that took a significant amount of energy, Christine took away a spoon. Note: A significant amount of energy means something completely different for someone with Lupus. Simple tasks can burn a significant amount of energy for someone who is chronically ill. This spoon exercise allowed Christine’s friend to see how she has to ration her energy and be mindful of what she has to do for the rest of the day. If she isn’t careful, she might find herself out and about with no spoons left to drive herself home.

Ever since, Christine posted this story online in 2003, it has become a popular way for people who are chronically ill or who face significant energy management problems (like ADHD) to explain to those who do not understand what it is like to ration one’s energy. This idea has even spawned Fork Theory and Knife Theory. Multiple people have proposed a Fork Theory, but there is no Fork Theory that has proven to be the definitive Fork Theory. I may write a future blog post on a Fork Theory that strikes my fancy, but for now, we shall focus on spoons. I will never write about Knife Theory on this blog because it is a D&D thing (okay, so maybe it isn’t a direct descendant of Spoon Theory).

MORE AT ARTICLE:

https://www.resetadhd.com/blog/how-many-spoons-do-you-have