Entre a culpabilização da vítima e a fadiga por compaixão: a mulher com fibromialgia no imaginário coletivo de familiares do gênero masculino

Abstract

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome characterized by chronic and diffuse pain, ranking among the most prevalent rheumatologic conditions worldwide. The impact of the illness goes beyond the physical body, affecting multiple dimensions of daily life and family relationships. In this context, the present study aimed to understand the collective imaginary about FM among male family members who lived or still live with women affected by the syndrome, using a qualitative approach grounded in the psychoanalytic investigative method. Data collection was carried out through interviews mediated by the Drawing-and-Story Procedure with a Theme, conducted with four men: two sons, one grandson/son, and one husband. The data analysis, conducted through psychoanalytic interpretation, made it possible to outline four fields of meaning, entitled: (1) “Wanting is not being able”, (2) “Sports, religion, and therapy”, (3) “The pain of witnessing”, and (4) “Hyperalgesia of the body-mind”. The results indicate that family members perceive women with FM as occupying a position of suffering in life and associate the possibility of improvement with engagement in physical, religious, and therapeutic activities. The findings also reveal the suffering experienced by the relatives themselves when witnessing constant pain, as well as the difficulties in caregiving relationships, often marked by the trivialization of pain due to its recurrence. In summary, it seems reasonable to propose that the participants’ collective imaginary is predominantly shaped, on the one hand, by victim blaming, and on the other, by compassion fatigue. Considering these findings, it is important to highlight the need for a health care perspective that recognizes not only women with FM but also their relatives as subjects who require attention and care.