The construction of academic identity under the influence of fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a complex condition that is characterised by chronic, wide-spread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive dysfunctions, increased sensitivity and psychological disorders (White and Harth, 2001). Existing fibromyalgia research focuses on individual aspects rather than seeking a holistic view of experiences with fibromyalgia. My approach to researching the lived experience of academics with fibromyalgia is guided by four principles: (1) openness, (2) responsiveness, (3) the imprecision of words and power of metaphors and (4) participatory meaning-making process. My data collection therefore relies on physical representations and metaphors, and I use Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith et al., 2012) to analyse data. The indicative findings demonstrate the participants' engagement with the research process and outline the generalizable relevance of individual items. I conclude this paper with a look to the future, where representations will be linked to the wider stories within academic identity research and illness narratives.