Storytelling as a Therapeutic Tool for Family Support in Bulimia Nervosa

Abstract

Telling stories (storytelling) is, above and beyond, a form of communication. It is a natural, universal, and well-known way of interaction among human beings. Storytelling, orally as well as in writing, is the sharing of personal narratives, a sort of story-sharing. With regard to chronic disease self-management, storytelling has been reported to be an exciting approach to patients and families. In this regard, families are considered very important in the management and treatment of eating disorders. Living with an eating disorder is an experience which deserves to be expressed in order to improve emotional support always necessary for patients’ families. Bearing in mind that eating disorders can be chronic illnesses that lead to challenging and troublesome experiences for patients and their families, this chapter aims to think over the everyday interactions that typify family life in the context of eating disorders and specifically in the case of bulimia nervosa. We propose this text as a reflection based on different experiences when working with bulimic patients.