The linguistic construction of the self in narratives of obsessive-compulsive disorder

ABSTRACT

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health problem characterised by distressing obsessions and repetitive compulsions. The autogenous-reactive model of OCD outlines two types of obsessions: 1) reactive, which are triggered by stimuli external to the self (e.g. electrical appliances) and 2) autogenous, which are triggered by stimuli internal to the self (e.g. memories) (Lee and Kwon, 2003). This article demonstrates the differences in the linguistic construction of the self within narratives told by people with OCD about reactive and autogenous obsessions. Narratives are analysed by focusing on the entity placed as grammatical subject. It is found that, within autogenous narratives, personified thoughts and the mind are placed as grammatical subject more often than within reactive narratives. autogenous narratives. These patterns potentially construct the self as agentive and responsible in reactive obsessions but in need of protection in autogenous obsessions.

KEYWORDS:

• autogenous-reactive
• inference-based approach
• linguistic analysis
• narrative
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• personification
• self

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Gabriella Rundblad (Kings College London) for comments on earlier versions of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by an Economic and Social Research Council studentship awarded to the author between September 2010 and December 2013.

Notes on contributors

Olivia Knapton

Olivia Knapton is a Lecturer in Linguistics in the School of Education, Communication and Society at King’s College London. Her research interests lie in investigating subjective experiences of mental health problems, communicating public health advice and finding innovative ways to combine cognitive and discursive approaches to meaning.