Brissie Spoonies: Online Meetup for Spoonies and Spoony Allies Only 🥄

• Whilst Brisbane Connect is a community for everyone, this particular event is an online Meetup for people from Brisbane or surroundings who are living with chronic illness (Spoonies) and spoony allies only.

We will play some light, fun, creative games (e.g. guessing game, memory game, creating story, sharades, ...) to get to know each other and have a fun time in a safe space.

If the group is big, we might split into small groups.

This is an online meetup. The link will be sent just before the meetup. If the RSVP is full and you want to join, please send me a message and I will send you the link so you can join

Looking forward to meeting you soon!

• If you cannot make it, we totally understand! Don't stress about the RSVP. Attend if you're feeling up to it, feel free to cancel last minute if you don't, feel free to join later or leave at any point during the meetup. This is a supportive community, we get it!
• Because your organiser is a Spoony too, meetups can be cancelled last minute due to sudden energy crashes. If you'd like to help out by co-organising, please reach out!
• For in-person meetups, please do not attend if you have any signs of infectious disease (even a cold) as some people in the group are immunocompromised
• Even though we are supportive for each other, this is not a support group. Meaning it's not a group therapy session. It is also not a space to share advice because everyone is different and most of us spend enough time on trying all sorts of things to improve our health. This space is specifically to have fun and forget about our spooniness for a moment, whilst still being part of a community that understands you and doesn't judge you or blame you for being unwell at times.
• This meetup is for Spoonies and Spoony allies only so we can all feel safe and don't need to be afraid to be judged. Spoony allies are people who understand that chronic illness such as autoimmune diseases are not "lifestyle diseases" and can happen to people with healthy lifestyles who try everything they can to be healthy. Spoony allies understand that spoonies need to cancel last minute sometimes, can change demeaner sometimes, and do not need more "have you tried yoga" advice. Spoony allies are people who understand that tired and fatigued are not the same. Spoony allies are the best!
• Do you want to become a spoony ally but have no idea what it means? In short, the spoons stand for energy. For example, let's say a normal person wakes up with 1000 spoons in the morning. A shower costs them 5 spoons, making breakfast another 5, and going to the gym before work takes 90 spoons. They still have 900 spoons left for the rest of the day. A spoony might wake up some mornings with 10 spoons. Meaning if they shower and have breakfast, they don't have energy left to do anything else. Some days they might even wake up with one spoon, not enough for a shower. On good days they might have 100 spoons, which can be just enough to get them through a normal workday and go straight to bed after. If they go into minus spoons, that's often taken away from the next day's amount of spoons. The spoon theory helps explain to people with average or above average energy levels what life is like not having that. This theory is necessary because spoonies can appear fine one day and might be bed-bound the next. This leads to other people not believing that they are unwell, because chronic illness is dynamic and often misunderstood. Hope this helps!
• Disclaimer: This meetup is an informal space for social connection and enjoyment. Participation is completely voluntary, and you are welcome to join in as much or as little as feels right for you. Please be respectful and mindful of others, and take responsibility for your own wellbeing and boundaries. This is not a therapy or professional service, but simply a space to connect. By attending, you are choosing to participate at your own discretion and to follow the group rules.
• Thank you for being a part of our community!