Table 2 Experiential themes
Theme Number | Experiential Theme Name | Experiential Subtheme Name |
|---|---|---|
1 | Feeling isolated and lacking close friends | |
2 | Resisting involvement of family due to perceiving them as part of the problem | Wielding the ED as a way to feel in control when feeling overprotected |
Using the ED to elicit care when feeling deprived | ||
3 | Feeling family and friends’ feelings | Utilising the ED to manage emotional contagion within the family |
Longing for acknowledgment from family | ||
Regulating feelings with the help of family | ||
4 | Desiring flexible boundaries | Resisting increased control by family |
Longing for boundaries to be set | ||
Others allowing space | ||
5 | Feeling ambivalent towards family and friends’ lived experience |