From Spoon Theory to From Spoon Theory to Peer SupportPeer Support

Ellie Stewart Ellie Stewart

and and

Naomi SalisburyNaomi Salisbury

Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal

Albert Camus

I explained that the difference in I explained that the difference in being sick and being healthy is having being sick and being healthy is having

to make choices or to consciously to make choices or to consciously think about things when the rest of think about things when the rest of

the world doesn’t have to. the world doesn’t have to.

The healthy have the luxury of a life The healthy have the luxury of a life without choices, a gift most people without choices, a gift most people

take for granted.take for granted.- Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino - Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino

www.butyoudontlooksick.comwww.butyoudontlooksick.com

Spoon Theory and BPDSpoon Theory and BPD

How does How does it relate to it relate to

BPD?BPD?

elanajohnson.blogspot.comelanajohnson.blogspot.com

Spoon Theory and BPDSpoon Theory and BPD

boards.straightdope.comboards.straightdope.com

What’s What’s different for different for

BPD?BPD?

Spoon Theory and BPDSpoon Theory and BPD

What’s the What’s the same for same for

BPD?BPD?coyerhanging.info

Spoon Theory and BPDSpoon Theory and BPD

Spoons Spoons and and

SymptomsSymptomshttp://claireneelymd.com/

Giving SpoonsGiving Spoons

feeling supported by friends feeling supported by friends feeling supported by professionals feeling supported by professionals feeling understood feeling understood being heard being heard being kind to myself being kind to myself doing relaxation doing relaxation doing exercise doing exercise feeling appreciatedfeeling appreciated sense of belonging sense of belonging sense of purpose sense of purpose voluntary work voluntary work

Taking SpoonsTaking Spoons lack of support/understanding lack of support/understanding exhaustion exhaustion

dealing with intense emotions on daily basis dealing with intense emotions on daily basis

chronic anxiety chronic anxiety

eating three meals a day eating three meals a day

being under pressure being under pressure

making decisions making decisions

relationship difficulties relationship difficulties

loneliness, social isolation loneliness, social isolation

professionals not returning phone calls professionals not returning phone calls

money worriesmoney worries

insomnia insomnia

chronic pain chronic pain

planning the day planning the day

Everyone has Different ExperiencesEveryone has Different Experiences

The symptomsThe symptoms Getting and living with Getting and living with

the diagnosisthe diagnosis TreatmentTreatment What helps you What helps you

managemanage Where you are in your Where you are in your

lifelife What support you needWhat support you need Who you are!Who you are!

www.standoutblogger.com

Peer SupportPeer Support

Something we have in Something we have in common and agree gives us common and agree gives us spoons!spoons!

In Edinburgh based around In Edinburgh based around an internet group and meets an internet group and meets about once a month for about once a month for coffee and a chatcoffee and a chat

Space to share experiences Space to share experiences and useful information and and useful information and where people feel where people feel understood without having understood without having to explain yourselfto explain yourself

http://elearning.rcplondon.ac.uk/Pages/default.aspx

Don’t people just get together and Don’t people just get together and compare techniques?compare techniques?

““Peer Support is not about “joining a Peer Support is not about “joining a club for the mentally ill”. It is not a club for the mentally ill”. It is not a

competition of stories or symptoms or competition of stories or symptoms or about being rescued or infantilized.”about being rescued or infantilized.”

– – Peer Support: A Theoretical PerspectivePeer Support: A Theoretical Perspective

What is Peer Support?What is Peer Support?

““It is about understanding another’s situation It is about understanding another’s situation empathically through the shared experience of emotional empathically through the shared experience of emotional and psychological pain. When people find affiliation with and psychological pain. When people find affiliation with others they feel are “like” them, they feel a connection.”others they feel are “like” them, they feel a connection.”

- Peer Support: A Theoretical Perspective- Peer Support: A Theoretical Perspective

““In general, peer support has been defined by the fact In general, peer support has been defined by the fact that people who have like experiences can better relate that people who have like experiences can better relate and can consequently offer a more authentic empathy and can consequently offer a more authentic empathy

and validation.”and validation.”

– – Peer Support: What Makes It Unique?Peer Support: What Makes It Unique?

Peer Support in ScotlandPeer Support in Scotland

Home-Grown Advocacy Home-Grown Advocacy OrganisationsOrganisations

Lots of local and online Lots of local and online networksnetworks

Scottish Recovery Scottish Recovery NetworkNetwork

Delivering for Mental Delivering for Mental HealthHealth Peer Support Peer Support Worker Pilot SchemeWorker Pilot Scheme

Towards a Mentally Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland Flourishing Scotland

Peer Support in EdinburghPeer Support in Edinburgh

Wide range of groups Wide range of groups including BPD Social including BPD Social GroupGroup

Meets at least once a Meets at least once a month for coffee and a month for coffee and a chat in a central locationchat in a central location

Uses an online forum to Uses an online forum to organise meetings and organise meetings and discuss issues in discuss issues in betweenbetween

Forum to offer and get Forum to offer and get support and informationsupport and information

How Does It Work?How Does It Work?

On your own termsOn your own terms – – come along to meet-ups or come along to meet-ups or post if you want to – no obligations and no pressurepost if you want to – no obligations and no pressure

Level of AnonymityLevel of Anonymity – – book club sign at meet-up, book club sign at meet-up, not talking about the group if you meet outside it, not talking about the group if you meet outside it, meeting in a busy central café, personal details only meeting in a busy central café, personal details only shared by mutual agreementshared by mutual agreement

Reciprocal Reciprocal – – sometimes people get support or sometimes people get support or information, sometimes they provide it – everyone information, sometimes they provide it – everyone recognises everyone has something to bring recognises everyone has something to bring

The best support I’ve found actually is this The best support I’ve found actually is this group, cos like I say on the first meeting I group, cos like I say on the first meeting I

don’t know what I was looking for, a bunch of don’t know what I was looking for, a bunch of I don’t know, loonies, what do a bunch of I don’t know, loonies, what do a bunch of BPD-ers look like? It was only when I sat BPD-ers look like? It was only when I sat

there in the cafe thinking I have no idea what there in the cafe thinking I have no idea what I’m looking for…I’m looking for…

And that was a quite reassuring because And that was a quite reassuring because everybody’s quite normal…everybody’s quite normal…

What’s the Benefit?What’s the Benefit?

Everyone is Everyone is equalequal and everyone has and everyone has something something to offerto offer

Don’t have to explainDon’t have to explain yourself yourself Get Get useful informationuseful information – for example around – for example around

benefits, health services and advocacybenefits, health services and advocacy Feel Feel supportedsupported to make changes to make changes Gain Gain confidenceconfidence from others who have from others who have ‘gone ‘gone

before you’before you’ Gain Gain confidence confidence from helping others who are from helping others who are

where you once werewhere you once were

Being part of BPD group has Being part of BPD group has been massively helpful to not been massively helpful to not

feel so alone, and see that feel so alone, and see that there are lovely, bright, there are lovely, bright,

intelligent people with similar intelligent people with similar experiencesexperiences

What are the Limitations?What are the Limitations?

Doesn’t replaceDoesn’t replace professional supportprofessional support and and treatmenttreatment

Is Is notnot crisis support crisis support Is Is not for everyonenot for everyone Need to be in the ‘right place’Need to be in the ‘right place’ – which is – which is

different for everyonedifferent for everyone Personality clashesPersonality clashes can happen can happen If everyone gets ill at the same timeIf everyone gets ill at the same time it it

might fold…might fold…

Why Does It Give You Spoons?Why Does It Give You Spoons?

lack of support/understanding lack of support/understanding

exhaustion exhaustion

dealing with intense emotions dealing with intense emotions

relationship difficulties relationship difficulties

loneliness, social isolation loneliness, social isolation

All take away spoons, BUT can All take away spoons, BUT can be addressed by peer supportbe addressed by peer support

Why Does It Give You Spoons?Why Does It Give You Spoons?

feeling supported by friends feeling supported by friends

feeling understood feeling understood

being heard being heard

being kind to myself being kind to myself

feeling appreciatedfeeling appreciated

sense of belonging sense of belonging

sense of purpose sense of purpose

The thing that has been particularly useful is The thing that has been particularly useful is peer support, is actually sitting next to people peer support, is actually sitting next to people

who appear relatively normal, who aren’t howling who appear relatively normal, who aren’t howling at the moon, but who share certain personality at the moon, but who share certain personality

traits I guess. traits I guess.

They’re funny, witty, charming folk, yet they They’re funny, witty, charming folk, yet they experience some of the things that I do and it’s experience some of the things that I do and it’s that validation which is absolutely colossal, it’s that validation which is absolutely colossal, it’s

probably the biggest thing in all of this. probably the biggest thing in all of this.

It’s feeling that I’m not that different to everybody, It’s feeling that I’m not that different to everybody, because I think any mental health problem is because I think any mental health problem is

very isolating, and having that was great.very isolating, and having that was great.

Thank You and Any Questions?Thank You and Any Questions?

Thanks for listeningThanks for listening

A huge thank you to A huge thank you to all the members of all the members of the Edinburgh BPD the Edinburgh BPD Social GroupSocial Group

Anything you want to Anything you want to ask?ask?

ReferencesReferences

Evaluation of the Delivering for Mental Health Peer Support Worker Pilot Scheme – Evaluation of the Delivering for Mental Health Peer Support Worker Pilot Scheme – Scottish Government Social ResearchScottish Government Social Researchwww.scotland.gov.uk/socialresearchwww.scotland.gov.uk/socialresearch

Mead, Shery, Hilton, David and Curtis, Laurie – Peer Support: A Theoretical Mead, Shery, Hilton, David and Curtis, Laurie – Peer Support: A Theoretical PerspectivePerspectivehttp://www.mentalhealthpeers.com/pdfs/peersupport.pdfhttp://www.mentalhealthpeers.com/pdfs/peersupport.pdf

Mead, Shery and MacNeil, Cheryl - Peer Support: A Systemic ApproachMead, Shery and MacNeil, Cheryl - Peer Support: A Systemic Approachwww.mentalhealthpeers.com/pdfs/PeerSupportSystemicApproach.pdfwww.mentalhealthpeers.com/pdfs/PeerSupportSystemicApproach.pdf

Mead, Shery and MacNeil, Cheryl – Peer Support: What Makes It Unique?Mead, Shery and MacNeil, Cheryl – Peer Support: What Makes It Unique?http://www.mentalhealthpeers.com/pdfs/PeerSupportUnique.pdfhttp://www.mentalhealthpeers.com/pdfs/PeerSupportUnique.pdf

Miserandino, Christine – The Spoon TheoryMiserandino, Christine – The Spoon Theoryhttp://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory-http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory-written-by-christine-miserandino/written-by-christine-miserandino/

Contact DetailsContact Details

Ellie StewartEllie Stewart

squeeblegirl@gmail.comsqueeblegirl@gmail.com

Naomi Salisbury – CAPS AdvocacyNaomi Salisbury – CAPS Advocacy

naomi@capsadvocacy.orgnaomi@capsadvocacy.org

0131 538 71770131 538 7177