TF Colloquium - Sanneke de Haan (Erasmus University)

On the 21st of September, we have our first TF colloquium of the year, given by  Sanneke de Haan from Erasmus University in Rotterdam (EUR). It will be from 15.15 to 17.00 in Omega. Drinks will follow.

The title and abstract are as follows:

Self-illness ambiguity & self-medication ambiguity in depression and their implications for notions of authenticity    

Psychiatric disorders pertain to one’s feelings, thoughts, perceptions, and/or actions: the kind of experiences that are narrowly related to who we are as persons. Psychotropic medication can have an impact on those same experiences. How then do you know whether certain thoughts or feelings are genuine expressions of yourself, or whether they are colored by your psychiatric illness, or by the medication you take? As Karp (2006) aptly summarizes the problem: ‘If I experience X, is it because of the illness, the medication, or is it ‘just me’?’. Self-illness and self-medication ambiguity have been reported with regard to various mental illnesses and may affect people’s well-being and treatment choices. In this talk I will discuss some findings from my qualitative interview study on self-illness and self-medication ambiguity with people suffering from recurrent depressions. I will also address some difficulties with the notion of being yourself and discuss a relational notion of authenticity.

More information available from Leah Henderson.