Rachel Aviv Explores the Stories We Tell About Illness
In a recent interview, New Yorker staff writer Rachel Aviv delved into her new book, Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us, examining how the narratives we construct around illness can shape our identities and experiences. Aviv, known for her deeply reported features on medicine and mental health, argues that the stories we tell—and the ones told about us—have profound consequences.
The book weaves together five case studies, including Aviv's own experience with anorexia at age six, to explore how individuals navigate diagnoses and the expectations that come with them. “The way we describe what’s happening to us can change the course of our lives,” Aviv said. “I wanted to understand how people remake themselves through the stories they inherit and create.”
The Power of Narrative in Medicine
Aviv draws on her reporting to highlight how medical diagnoses can become all-consuming identities. She points to the example of a woman diagnosed with schizophrenia who found solace in a support group that encouraged her to see her condition as part of a larger life story, not its defining feature. According to Aviv, this shift in narrative can be therapeutic. “When people are given a diagnosis, they often feel trapped by it. But if they can re-author their story, they can find agency,” she explained.
The book also addresses the dangers of rigid narratives. Aviv cites research showing that patients whose doctors use more flexible language—such as “you have symptoms of” rather than “you are”—tend to have better outcomes. “Language matters,” she said. “It can either open up possibilities or close them down.”
Personal and Reported Stories Intertwine
Aviv’s own story serves as a throughline. She describes being hospitalized for anorexia at age six and how that experience shaped her understanding of illness. “I was put in a category, and that category had a story attached to it,” she recalled. “It took me years to realize I could write my own story.” This personal perspective adds depth to the reported chapters, which include a man who faked mental illness for years and a woman whose bipolar disorder was misdiagnosed as depression.
The interview also touches on the ethics of writing about vulnerable subjects. Aviv emphasizes the importance of consent and collaboration, noting that all subjects read and approved their chapters. “I wanted to honor their complexity,” she said. “They are not just case studies; they are people with rich inner lives.”
Reception and Impact
Strangers to Ourselves has been praised for its nuanced approach to mental health. Critics have noted Aviv’s ability to blend memoir and journalism seamlessly. The book has been shortlisted for several awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award. Aviv hopes it will encourage readers to question the stories they tell about themselves and others. “We all have the power to revise our narratives,” she said. “That’s a hopeful message.”
