Eaten Stories Untold (ESU) is a research project interested in how those experiencing disordered eating tell their stories. Valuing the lived experience of disordered eating, I collected a series of electronically submitted texts written by participants, in response to a key set of words about their experience. The writing is to be reviewed through the methodological framework of discourse analysis, with an interpretive framework of narrative theory. 

The aim of this project is to inquire into the narrative expressions of those experiencing disordered eating in order to understand the experience of consumers, and make practice recommendations based on these findings.

From my professional experience specialising in the field of eating disorders I noticed that clients utilise imagery and metaphor commonly in spoken language, as the complexity of the experience is not adequately captured in linear language. My hypothesis was that this would transpose in writing as participants reflected on their lived experience. I wanted to explore in more detail the nature of the imagery, metaphors and main themes used.

I chose a narrative framework for discourse analysis because of its understanding of subjects as products of a storied world.  Narrative theory derives from literary theory which matched my interest in the way that participants used language. According to narrative theory, dominant social discourses may be retold unwittingly by individuals. If these stories are underdeveloped, in narrative terms meaning underdeveloped self-concepts, they limit the richness of alternate stories in that individual’s life. They also limit the experience of re-authoring , which is to bring more awareness and depth to a story about self to allow for more autonomy and meaning in ones’ life. Dominant social discourse is another relevant narrative term which refers to socially bred concepts which may not serve the individual. An example of this may be a patriarchal dominant social discourse which has an often unspoken influence on the way a woman may perceive herself and value in the world.  Dominant plot is another narrative term that will be used in the analysis and refers to the dominant thinking style and self-concept in ones’ life, this is often entrenched in ones’ identity, such as ‘I am a weak person’ as the frequent assumption of self and interpretation of events.

The writing was then initially analysed through the frame of discourse analysis. I grouped emerging themes from the writing and identified 11 categories of consistently used language, imagery and metaphors. These included themes such as ‘legacy’ by which I mean the desire to warn other women, or give feedback to society on the experience of disordered eating and the importance of change internally and socially. Another theme was relational language, exploring relationship with self and with the disordered eating.

Themes that could offer the most relevance and value for attention in light of the projects’ ontological associations, I identified legacy, relationship and agency as the most prominent themes. By themes and the measure of most relevance I refer to the political subtext that is embedded in a narrative philosophy, one which assumes that there are social stories absorbed by individuals that produce internal conflict if they attempt to live these out as their own. In understanding this premise of narrative philosophy it was the themes most connected to social discourses relevant in participants writing which were selected.

Legacy as a theme captured a sense of telling other women how to fair better, encouraging them not to subscribe to social ideals on the female body and making commentary on how women are treated in society. Agency captured a sense or lack thereof of self-efficacy, trust in self and the word.  Relationship embodied relating to self, to others, and to the eating disorder.

Of the stimulus words on offer I grouped these into three categories of conceptual notions; visceral/ physical, relational/social, abstract/ conceptual. Also worth noting was the use of the word ‘paradox’ which was not a stimulus word, but was used nine separate times by 5 writers, as well as ‘catch 22’ used twice by another 2 different writers.  ‘Trust’ was used frequently. Also ‘suffocation’, ‘chocking’ and ‘weight (in the context of pressure)’ were used multiple times. These words in future analysis will be captured within the synonymous groupings of words in considering them as a single trope.

Current findings are indicating that there are indeed very relevant dominant social discourses that are creating internal conflict for the authors involved in participation, which has been expressed through imagery and some metaphor.  The most significant themes lie within subjects of legacy, agency and experience of relationship.  Stimulus words related to visceral, conceptual and relational origins have been fairly evenly utilised. The narrative concepts of dominant social discourse and dominant plot have also been reviewed in the writing.

I hoped to find the use of metaphor and imagery in writing from participants, on the assumption that the experience of an eating disorder would be limiting to put into linear language and imagery and metaphor would be turned to in attempt to capture the experience. Imagery has been most implemented by participants, especially at a conceptual level and through the lens of analysis of the writing as a whole. The findings have shown themes of legacy, relationship and agency to be most prominent in the data.

What can be looked forward to in the final analysis is the potential for a thickening of understanding of the initial findings, by a comprehensive triangulation process. I also look forward to deeper analysis of the language, and marrying the layers of word types uses, imagery and metaphor implemented and exploring most embedded narrative concepts within the writing to further detail the findings of this research project in light of the initial hypothesis.