Despite the criticisms to the biographical disruption theory, it is still in use in sociological research to explore the experience of individuals living with chronic …show more content…
Bury describes chronic illnesses as biographical disruption of everyday life as indicated earlier and Charmaz describes chronic illnesses as a disruptor to self-identity. Charmaz ties the term loss of self with suffering. She defines loss of self as experiencing one's "former self-images crumbling away without the simultaneous development of equally valued new ones (self-image)" (Charmaz, 1983: 168).
Charmaz (1983) coined the term loss of self, with her research in 1980s, by interviewing individuals with chronic illness using symbolic interactionist perspectives. In her study, she finds the loss of self develops from the chronic condition(s) and the illness experience. Charmaz describes client's illness experience as living a restricted life, experiencing social isolation, being discredited, and burdening others. Slowly individuals with chronic illness feel their self-image disappear, a loss of self, without the development of an equally valued new one (Charmaz, 1983: