In Chapter 5, we present the defining characteristics of narrative, including temporal organization, protagonists pursuing goals, the landscapes of action and consciousness, and meaning as emerging from configuration of events. We argue that experience takes on certain of these defining features (lived story) and that telling stories is anchored in while also transforming lived story. We introduce narrative as crucial to identity since it supports self-continuity by organizing past, present, and future selves into coherent patterns. Further, we describe the memory, imagination, and reflection processes involved in the creation of narrative identity. Finally, we locate narrative identity in social and cultural contexts by introducing the concept of narrative ecology, which includes stories shared by others (vicarious stories), social scaffolding of storytelling, culturally shared stories, such as autobiographies, and master narratives. We discuss how a negative narrative ecology may play a role in shaping narrative identity in some individuals with psychopathology, including negative master narratives of mental illness, inaccurate stereotypes, silencing, absent or hostile coauthors, and lack of adaptive vicarious life stories.

In Chapter 15, we described our guide for narrative repair, an intervention developed to explore identity problems arising from mental illness and identity resources for pursuing a good life. The guide is a flexible tool that can be employed as self-help, as structured conversation with close others, and as a therapeutic intervention. The first task includes creating an overview of the life story to be employed as a platform for the other tasks and for identifying potential obstacles to narrative repair. The second task aims to explore and support coping with identity problems arising from mental illness (e.g., fear of the ill self, the negative self, and loss of previous selves). The third task focuses on exploring and reviving the agentic, growing, accepting, and valued selves and bringing them into everyday life. The fourth task consists of constructing a hopeful and realistic future story as well as considering potential routes to reach this recovering self. We suggest that vicarious stories of recovery shared by peer workers may scaffold personal recovery stories. Finally, we discuss how healthcare professionals engaging in narrative repair may deepen their empathy and gain hope by holding on to recovery stories.