'I used to dream of lupus as some sort of creature': Chronic illness as an internal object

The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
Emanuel SchattnerMahmoud Abu-Shakra

Abstract

This study examines the place occupied by chronic illness in the inner lives of 15 women suffering from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). A phenomenological analysis of illness narratives demonstrates that sufferers construe their illness as a protagonist or, using an object-relations informed perspective, as an internal object. That is, with time sufferers constituted a mental representation of SLE that in itself has the power to influence the sufferers' affective states and behaviors. An insight into these "illness relations" is conducive to a better understanding of the "lived experience" of SLE for disabled, economically disadvantaged women. Through their experience, the study of risk and resilience in chronic illness may be advanced.

Citations

Jun 7, 2011·Psychology, Health & Medicine·Marita P McCabe, Elodie J O'Connor
Apr 16, 2013·Chronic Illness·Sherrill Snelgrove, Christina Liossi
Jul 18, 2017·Journal of Psychosomatic Research·Noga TsurKarni Ginzburg
Feb 26, 2014·The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease·Jurrijn A KoelenPatrick Luyten
Feb 6, 2020·Annual Review of Clinical Psychology·Patrick LuytenPeter Fonagy
Jan 20, 2018·Journal of Advanced Nursing·Janni Lisander LarsenRegner Birkelund
Aug 14, 2020·Ciência & saúde coletiva·Tania Gonçalves Vieira Caçador, Romeu Gomes
Nov 27, 2019·Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology : the Official Journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists·Noora Ovaska-StaffordMaria Dale
Nov 19, 2020·American Journal of Psychotherapy·Patrick Luyten, Peter Fonagy
Jan 21, 2020·Journal of Affective Disorders·Noga TsurZahava Solomon
Feb 23, 2021·The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis·Arianna PalmieriSabrina Cipolletta

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