Biographical dialectics: The ongoing and creative problem solving required to negotiate the biographical disruption of chronic illness

Here we propose the term ‘biographical dialectics’ as a sister term to ‘biographical disruption’ to capture the ongoing problem solving that characterises the lives of many people living with life limiting chronic illnesses. The paper is based on the experiences of 35 adults with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in receipt of haemodialysis. Photovoice and semi-structured interviews showed that ESKD and the use of haemodialysis was widely agreed to be biographically disruptive. In talking about and showing disruption through photographs the participants' ongoing problem solving was universal across their diverse experiences. ‘Biographical disruption’ and Hegalian dialectical logic, are drawn on to make sense of these actions and to further understand the personal and disruptive experience of chronic illness. Based on this, ‘biographical dialectics’ captures the work that is required to account for and manage the enduring and biographical impact of chronic illness that follows the initial disruption of diagnosis and continues as life progresses. •Chronic illness can require ongoing problem solving.•The need for regular treatment (such as haemodialysis) can exacerbate disruption.•Biographical dialectics makes sense of ongoing problem solving behaviour.•Biographical dialectics draws on Hegel's dialectical logic.•Biographical dialectics can be used alongside biographical disruption.