Professional responsibility in the illness experience

Professional responsibility in the illness experience

by Storm Parker -
Number of replies: 3

Charmaz describes how experiencing a chronic, debilitating illness poses questions about the self, and can even assault upon it. A more restricted life can be adopted, which can lead to social isolation, and vice versa. This, combined with feelings of being a burden on others, can reduce an individual’s opportunities to construct a valued self.

She states that restricted lives are “sometimes set into motion by professional practices” and that not all patients are given enough information to reduce their suffering of self-loss. On the healthtalk website, one woman said that “her feeling of depression was made worse because her doctors did not seem prepared to explain or discuss the diagnosis with her”. This devaluation of an illness experience can contribute to the isolation felt in chronic disease, with a negative identification being potentially adopted. It highlights the role of the medical professional in recognising the psychological suffer of their patient, rather than just the physical.

In reply to Storm Parker

Re: Professional responsibility in the illness experience

by Sandeep Suryadevara Rao -

Good point... I think this is the reason for post-diagnosis groups being set up for sufferers of certain conditions. Sometimes during clinics, staff may not have time to talk through all of the issues regarding a diagnosis. So these groups can be useful to discuss the issues surrounding a diagnosis.

I also agree that for a many people (particularly the former 'bread-winner' of the family) becoming a burden can be a terrible consequence of illness, which can lead to guilt and depression.

On the other hand, if an elderly person (for example) has a small degree of impairment and needs some assistance from family members, it can serve to strengthen the bond between those people. For example, children can start to look after their elderly parents, spend more time with them and reduce the social isolation that can come with ageing. But this is another point altogether!

In reply to Storm Parker

Re: Professional responsibility in the illness experience

by Deleted user -

Storm, I have to admit that your point of view about the professional responsibility in the illness experience is very interesting and make me think how carefully and gently the doctors must behave to these patients. But, also, I think we should consider that the patients' feelings are fragile at this time, they are suffering psychologically and maybe they feel frustrated so they misunderstood the doctors' intentions. and their behaviour. Charmaz said, also, an interesting example about a lady with multiple sclerosis, who felt insulted from her psychiatrist to whom she had been referred. She claimed that the psychiatrist attempted to discredit her.

In reply to Deleted user

Re: Professional responsibility in the illness experience

by Sara Shaw -

Really interesting posts. I was reminded of a point in Charmaz's paper about how 'the self' is fundamentally social in nature (p170) and the influence that people generally can therefore have in shaping the identity and lives of people with chronic illness.... something that comes across strongly in other posts (see e.g. Moazie on 'the self').

I was also struck by the different perspectives that you have on professional responsbility and the potential for positive and negative influences as people negotiate chronic illness. As the paper is now 30 years old, I wonder if you think that anything has changed since Charmaz was writing?