Understanding recovery from the stories of individuals with a former diagnosis of anorexia nervosa : a narrative approach to lived experiences

Abstract

The main aim of this qualitative study was to understand recovery from the stories of individuals with a former diagnosis of anorexia nervosa. The overarching aim was to explore the link recovered individuals make between childhood experiences and the development of AN, and to gain a deeper understanding of the key therapeutic processes that are now part of the broader life experience of the individual. It aimed to examine the manner in which individuals perceive early relations to have impacted the development of AN and to identify any changes in their life-script after treatment. A qualitative approach was adopted to investigate this phenomenon. Three participants who have been remittance for a minimum of two years were recruited to participate in two one-hour semi-structured interviews. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed through the model of narrative analysis proposed by Dallos and Vetere (2016). The analysis was sub-divided into three types, namely thematic, structural and process analysis. The three dominant narratives that were elicited were “The illusion of control”; “From one system to another”; and the “The ever-evolving self”. Possible frozen narratives were identified in the narrative structures as is suggested by the model proposed by Dallos and Vetere (2016). Process analysis was carried out to analyze the participant stories beyond content and focuses on the experiences of the ‘in-between’ as the story is being narrated. The findings of the study suggest that participants struggled with letting go of their extreme sense of control over food, difficulties with taking on the role of patient in their social context and maintaining closeness prior recovery. Notable findings included the imminent role of psychotherapeutic treatment that helped with shift in thoughts, decreasing control, increasing relational proximity post recovery, post-traumatic growth and evolved sense of self that occurred through the process. Recommendations for future studies were included and the study’s implication for policy and practice were discussed.