The Hermeneutics of Disordered Self-Narratives

Abstract In this paper I argue that self-narrative is important in two ways. First, if we understand the self as a self-pattern, self-narrative is one among a multiplicity of elements that contribute to the constitution of the self. The practice of self-narration is part of what makes us who we are. Second, self-narrative serves to mirror the other significant factors that make up the self-pattern. It has a reflective function insofar as it selectively expresses those experiences, feelings, actions and interpersonal relations that have some significance for my life, and as such it reflects who I am. I further argue that because self-narrative has this reflective function, shared self-narratives can serve as a means of access for others to gain insight into who I am. This has application in psychiatric and therapeutic contexts where patients’ self-narratives can serve as a means to an understanding of their life experiences. Since this access is not straight-forward, however, I explore some issues related to how the structure and dynamical processes of self-narration can change in cases of psychiatric disorders, reflecting changes in the self-pattern. In addition, I discuss some important challenges that constrain the interpretation of self-narratives in such disorders. These involve different forms of narrative distance and constraints connected with both psychiatric theory and hermeneutical theory. My main argument is that conceiving of self-related processes as forming a self-pattern that includes self-narrative addresses some of these hermeneutic challenges and facilitates the interpretation of self-narratives.