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.