Personal illness experience of my adolescent self: a narrative inquiry self-study

<p>Building on Dewey’s philosophy of experience, our personal and professional lived experiences are mutually informing. Thus, personal illness experiences may impact how we engage in professional roles. In this self-study, using Connelly and Clandinin’s Narrative Inquiry, I explore my experience of an eating disorder as an adolescent, and how this experience informs my nursing practice today. I crafted stories of my illness experience often using poetic prose. I analyzed these using the three levels of justification (personal, practical, social) through the theoretical lens of Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development. Four narrative threads (impulsivity: response to losing control, lack of autonomy, liminality, lack of meaningful relationships) emerged and coalesced into three narrative patterns (control, belonging, identity). This self-study provides healthcare professionals an understanding of the impact a stigmatized illness may have on one’s professional role. My intention is to inspire others to enter their own inquiry into their experiences of illness.</p>