Personal growth in chronic illness - a biographical case study of living with fibromyalgia

Abstract

Background/aim: Chronic illness can be distressing for patients. It confronts them with the challenge of having to cope with their life and of having to adjust their self-image. Nevertheless, patients often experience that they go through a process of personal growth. Although there is empirical proof of the potential that coping with severe illness has with regard to personal growth, fairly little is known about the conditions that bring about such a development. Based on a singlecase study of fibromyalgia (FM) from Germany, the paper reveals the potential of a biographical approach for understanding the process of personal growth in chronic illness.

Methods: The case is part of a qualitative study on the occurrence of biographical transformation in severe illnesses. A narrative, biographical interview was conducted with the patient. The analysis takes objective biographical data as well as the subjective experience of the patient into account.

Results: Our analysis is confirmed by qualitative studies on the subjective experience of FM. Although these studies report a favorable development with some FM sufferers, they neither investigate its significance for the life of the patient nor the factors that make personal growth possible. We tried to identify biographical resources and personal strategies of the patient that facilitated her inner growth.

Conclusion: A biographical approach is a way towards understanding individual growth in the face of severe suffering. By including the patients' objective life data as well as their subjective experiences, deeper insights into the process of personal growth can be gained.