Empreintes de la maladie diabétique chez l’adolescente : donner forme à une maladie invisible

Abstract

Our research concerns the feminine adolescence process of subjects with diabetes mellitus type-1. Beyond the heritage of the sick and dependant body, how can these subjects manage through the reappropriation of their pubescent body? The objective is here initially to propose the representations of the patients’ diabetics on their disease, then to understand if and how these representations work with the acceptance of their sick body. Our approach leaves the question of the origin of the disease unresolved in order to study which elements facilitate its integration and the access to the psychic autonomy of girls affected by this chronic disease. Our research is conducted in two departments of pediatric endocrinology and diabetology in 60 diabetic girls aged 12 to 17years. Their discourse on the disease is collected in semi-structured interviews. Our conclusions propose the importance of the personal theories on the disease in the process of integration of the disease and access to psychic autonomy. The discourse about the disease is sometimes poor, without emotions, centered on the mechanics of treatment, medical knowledge and glycemic numbers. He is accompanied in the majority of these cases of a difficult expression of instinctual movements. In other teenage, the discourse about their disease is marked by personal theories about the origin of the disease and fantasies about the insulin and medical treatment. Here he is accompanied in most cases a far better expression of instinctual movements. Furthermore, noncompliance with treatment — common behaviors in this population — appear as many attempts of reappropriation of the dependent body: masochistic behaviors allows the physical appropriation of pulsionnal pressure, but it is always running the risk of his own racing when the propping up of the object comes to miss or cannot be accepted.