No Silêncio da Doença: A Experiência Fraterna na Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

Anorexia Nervosa is a severe and potentially fatal eating disorder, characterized by a persistent restriction of food intake, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a self-evaluation excessively influenced by weight and body shape, resulting in a significantly low body weight. Although the impact of the disease is devastating, family members also suffer profound emotional and relational consequences. However, the literature has focused mainly on individuals with the illness and their parents, with a significant gap existing regarding the impact of the disease on siblings. The present study aimed to understand the subjective experience of the sister of a person who died from Anorexia Nervosa, exploring the emotional, identity-related, and familial impact of living with the illness and the subsequent loss. This is a qualitative case study, based on a semi-structured interview, analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The results highlight the significant impact of the disease on the participant, who took on a caregiver role, underwent transformations in her identity, and faced alterations in family dynamics. Furthermore, the analysis revealed a duality in the experience of loss: on one hand, relief over the end of her sisters suffering, and on the other, the persistence of pain and the irretrievable absence. These findings underscore the need to include siblings in research and clinical interventions, recognizing them as subjects of care who require specialized psychological support, both for the burden associated with caregiving and for the complex suffering associated with fraternal grief.