ABSTRACT
In many fields, especially the sociology of health and illness, the doctor–patient relationship has been examined as the most salient interpersonal aspect of a patient’s care. In this chapter, a brief overview of this relationship in the context of fibromyalgia is presented, followed by an analysis of patient groups and the nebulous patient ‘community’. It is argued that within such groups a great diversity of positions are present, and the role that such organisations play within patients’ lives varies greatly from giving some an uplifting sense of solidarity to bringing others down with negativity. Ideas of intertextuality introduced earlier in the book are tested and found to be wanting, as many patients display little of the awareness of media narratives and archetypes that they might be expected to.
