ABSTRACT
The social ecology of pain and suffering in serious illness is informed by the narrative of Angelique and her chronic care experiences. Angelique's move to the care facility had meanings of appropriation and displacement for her. Her home was taken from her, and she was displaced from her place of dwelling. Angelique suffered the loss of sociality, relationality, and home as well as the concomitant loss of autonomy, control, and agency. Angelique's persistent and untreated or undertreated pain led to her experience of suffering. She also experienced suffering that was not directly a consequence of her pain. This individual psychological structure is dominated by Angelique's suffering experience. Angelique experienced the marginalized position she felt she was in as in some way a fall from a height, accompanied by feelings of loss of dignity, loss of self, loss of identity, loss of humanity, and voicelessness.
