Loss of self: a fundamental form of suffering in the chronically ill
Abstract
Physical pain, psychological distress and the deleterious effects of medical procedures all cause the chronically ill to suffer as they experience their illnesses. However, a narrow medicalized view of suffering, solely defined as physical discomfort, ignores or minimizes the broader significance of the suffering experienced by debilitated chronically ill adults. A fundamental form of that suffering is the loss of self in chronically ill persons who observe their former self-images crumbling away without the simultaneous development of equally valued new ones. As a result of their illnesses, these individuals suffer from (1) leading restricted lives, (2) experiencing social isolation, (3) being discredited and (4) burdening others. Each of these four scores of suffering is analysed in relation to its effects on the consciousness of the ill person. The data are drawn from a qualitative study of 57 chronically ill persons with varied diagnoses.
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Chronic pain patients often experience destruction of former body image without developments in new body image, and accumulation of failure to maintain body image erodes self-concept.
“Chronic pain patients often experience the destruction of their former body image without experiencing any developments in respect of the new body image, and the accumulation of failure to maintain body image will erode self-concept [40].”
From Empowerment in the treatment of fatigue in breast cancer patients (2021) · cites this paper as [40]
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“Chronic pain patients often experience the destruction of their former body image without experiencing any developments in respect of the new body image, and the accumulation of failure to maintain body image will erode self-concept [40].”
Background
- Authors
- Charmaz, K.
- Affiliations
- Sonoma State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Charmaz, Kathy
- ORCID
- Charmaz, Kathy
- Venue
- Sociology of Health & Illness
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1983-07
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 168-195
- ISSN
- 0141-9889 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-9566
- OpenAlex
- W1974655934
- Cited by
- 1,794
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 53 · 2025: 63 · 2024: 72 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 75 · 2021: 75 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 62 · 2018: 89 · 2017: 81 · 2016: 105 · 2015: 101 · 2014: 89 · 2013: 72 · 2012: 78
- FWCI
- 2.54
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Sociology of Health & Illness (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Medicine, History, and Philosophy
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative research in health
- Keywords
- loss of self, suffering, chronic disease, self-image, social isolation, stigma, medicalization of suffering
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, California, Chronic Disease, Humans, Middle Aged, Self Concept, Social Support, Sociology, Medical
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