THE RELEVANCE OF LEISURE IN AN ILLNESS EXPERIENCE - REALITIES OF SPINAL-CORD INJURY

Illness is generally experienced as more than merely physical or psychological distress. Depending on its seriousness, illness results in a disruption to one's sense of well being and personal continuity. The stories of people who have experienced spinal cord injuries illustrate not only the impact of illness in disrupting life stories but also the relevance of leisure in the course of this disruption. In this investigation, in-depth interviews with 20 people with spinal cord injuries demonstrated that constraints to previously enjoyed activities contribute to defining the experience of illness in three important ways: through loss of abilities, through disruption of relationships, and through dependence on others. Discourse on the phenomenology of the body is utilized to interpret these interviews and to offer a conceptual pathway for examining the relevance of leisure in other illness experiences.