Out of the many associations I made from the Charmaz paper and the RA video clips, just one of them that I recognized straight away was how the female with RA mentioned observing acquaintances also on steroids which she was soon to be put on, and she came to the realization that she would soon be in the same position of feeling bloated, losing balance and depressive state that her friend was in. Her friend, however, soon recovered from this state which gave her hope.
Charmaz mentioned this in his paper as ‘viewing the losses that other patients suffer’ and ‘their observations cause them to evaluate information and treatment for themselves’, which is exactly what this patient described.
The second point I’d like to make is related to Charmaz stating that social isolation is something chronically ill patients suffer from. This occurs either due to lack of energy or a busy schedule and leads to feelings of loneliness. One of the RA patients mentions going to crafts sessions which helps her to get away and socialize along with giving her husband a break, which is also important as it stops patients from feeling like a burden, which is another point that Charmaz raises.