Diaries as a source of suffering narratives: A critical commentary

In this article, the ways in which diaries can be used as narratives of risk are explored. It is noted that unsolicited diaries appear to be an especially valuable resource for researchers who wish to explore the nature of suffering. They also provide a way of avoiding some of the moral dilemmas created when researchers solicit narratives of suffering and represent accounts which contextualize suffering within a personal biography. Such texts provide a mechanism for accessing not only contemporary accounts of suffering but also accounts from previous generations thus allowing researchers to explore the ways in which narratives of suffering have developed over time. These points are illustrated via an analysis of stroke survivors' accounts of their stroke and the traumatic experience of knowing themselves to be under threat and at risk of dying.