Author Emma Hardy challenges the dominant narrative structure of the hero's journey for chronic illness. She argues it fails women with conditions like Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), which lacks a neat recovery arc.
Hardy describes living with PMDD, a severe premenstrual illness causing depression and suicidal ideation. Her diagnosis took months, not years, but she notes the average diagnosis for endometriosis is six and a half years.
She calls for narrative patterns like the spiral, which allow for life with illness rather than recovery or death. Her memoir, "Periodic Bitch," is now out in Australia.