The linguistic construction of the self in narratives of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Knapton, Olivia

doi:10.1080/14780887.2018.1499834

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Much mental health research has been orientated towards understanding the individual, often through a biomedical lens, with little focus on the influences of the broader context within which the individual lives and how this may impact on functioning [ 21 ]. For example, various individual models exists to understand OCD [ 12 , 22 – 24 ]. More recent models of OCD—which go beyond the better known cognitive models of OCD [ 25 , 26 ], is the inference-based approach (IBA) and the autogenous-reactive model (AR).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): a South African narrative

Köhler

Coetzee

Löchner

2018

Int J Ment Health Syst

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BackgroundObsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a highly prevalent and debilitating psychiatric disorder known to interfere with several life domains. Yet little is known about the subjective experiences of living with OCD amongst South Africans and more so, the ways in which it impacts daily functioning and quality of life (QOL).MethodsThe aim of this study was to explore daily functioning and QOL among South African adults living with OCD. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 adults with a primary diagnosis of OCD. We used ATLAS.ti v7 to analyse the data, thematically. The study was conducted at the SU/UCT MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders in South Africa.ResultsThree key themes were identified namely, (1) realisation of OCD, (2) disruptions to daily life and (3) managing the disruptions to daily life. Participants recounted their earliest recollections of OCD, the instances when they recognised something was wrong and ways in which they came to terms with their OCD. Disruptions to daily life included poor sleep quality, inability to enjoy leisure activities which impacted on socialisation and impairment in school/work performance. Perceived social support from family members, friends and colleagues were invaluable to helping participants manage these disruptions. Further, strategies such as self-talk, diary-keeping and humour helped them cope.ConclusionWhile some individuals with OCD have found ways to cope with and accept having OCD, all participants perceived their QOL to be significantly reduced and their functioning impaired due to the condition, on multiple levels. The importance of acceptance in OCD ties in with research on the potential value of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which could form an adjunct to more conventional techniques such as Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy. The themes emanating from this study can be used to help clinicians better understand what treatment works best for patients with OCD—and whether this treatment be focused on the individual or together with close members of their microsystem, such as spouses/partners. Further these findings may potentially help to improve access, affordability and the quality of life of South Africans living with OCD from various income backgrounds.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): a South African narrative

Köhler

Coetzee

Löchner

2018

Int J Ment Health Syst

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“…the voicehearer). Knapton (2021) has offered similar observations in relation to first-person accounts of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), arguing that the grammatical positioning of the self and the mind in participant reports can provide insights into their sense of agency, responsibility and blame that can direct therapists to areas of concern.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Corpus linguistics and clinical psychology

Collins

Březina

Demjén

et al. 2022

IJCL

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Triangulating corpus linguistic approaches with other (linguistic and non-linguistic) approaches enhances “both the rigour of corpus linguistics and its incorporation into all kinds of research” (McEnery & Hardie, 2012: 227). Our study investigates an important area of mental health research: the experiences of those who hear voices that others cannot hear, and particularly the ways in which those voices are described as person-like. We apply corpus methods to augment the findings of a qualitative approach to 40 interviews with voice-hearers, whereby each interview was coded as involving ‘minimal’ or ‘complex’ personification of voices. Our analysis provides linguistic evidence in support of the qualitative coding of the interviews, but also goes beyond a binary approach by revealing different types and degrees of personification of voices, based on how they are referred to and described by voice-hearers. We relate these findings to concepts that inform therapeutic interventions in clinical psychology.

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“…She organizes these experiences in paradoxical narrations by which she disavows her personal agency and yet adopts a superhuman degree of responsibility for many variables of her life (see Ferro 2006). A linguistic analysis of narratives told by adults with OCD reveals two basic trends (Knapton 2021). Subjects who fear external stimuli (e.g., electrical appliances) tend to place the feared items/objects/people as the grammatical subject in the first clause of their sentences.…”

Section: N a R R At I V E T R E N D S I N A D O L E S C E N C E A N D...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Obsessions And Compulsions: A Lifespan Perspective

Rizzolo

2023

J Am Psychoanal Assoc

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Freud traced the origin of the obsessional neurosis, which he considered a model condition for psychoanalytic inquiry, to a fixation in the anal phase of psychosexual development. Although many analysts have raised doubts about his account, and while the Sullivanian and Lacanian traditions have proposed alternatives, no approach has accounted for what Freud observed as the dizzying variety of obsessive presentations, which seem to defy a singular explanation. The broader research community has moved on, meanwhile, to genetic, neurological, and cognitive-behavioral explanations of what we now call obsessive-compulsive disorder. I argue that we can best account for the variety of obsessive presentations and meaningfully contribute to this interdisciplinary dialogue by framing obsessive-compulsive symptoms as the result of a disorder of volition, an exaggerated sense of willpower, not tied to any one developmental phase or bodily zone. Such a disorder evolves through the lifespan processes of introjection, identification, and repudiation in relation to an anxious/critical parent or an unpredictable environment. I trace these processes through three major developmental milestones. The implication is that, by looking in depth at how the obsessive person internalizes relationships, psychoanalysis can make a unique contribution to a conversation beyond its own borders.

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The linguistic construction of the self in narratives of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Abstract: The linguistic construction of the self in narratives of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Cited by 7 publications

References 34 publications

Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): a South African narrative

Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): a South African narrative

Corpus linguistics and clinical psychology

Obsessions And Compulsions: A Lifespan Perspective

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