Munchausen Syndrome is a psychiatric disorder that causes people to falsify or make-up illness and injuries in their medical and personal history in order to receive attention from doctors, nurses and other medical personnel. According to WebMD, "Munchausen syndrome belongs to a group of conditions, called factitious disorders, which are either made up or self-inflicted. Factitious disorders can be psychological or physical. Munchausen syndrome refers to the most severe and chronic physical form of factitious disorder."
Symptoms of Munchausen Syndrome
The symptoms of Munchausen Syndrome vary greatly depending on the individual and the severity of the disorder. However, the intent is to fake illness, injury, and to look and act sick in order to have certain deep emotional needs met. This means people with Munchausen syndrome want you to believe they are sick, but they know in their own mind that there is nothing physically wrong with them. They are not physically ill.
Individuals with Munchausen syndrome have a history of multiple medical admissions to a variety of hospitals. During the admission process, Munchausen patients are often dramatic, especially when reviewing their past medical and surgical history. Yet, at the same time, they present with vague and inconsistent symptomology, however they usually express themselves using complex medical terms with an in-depth knowledge of disease process.
Secretive about past medical history or symptoms
Although, Munchausen patients frequent a variety of doctors, clinics, urgent cares, and hospitals, one glaring consistency that stands out amongst the Munchausen population is their refusal as a patient to allow medical staff to talk to or contact family members regarding clarifying medical history and symptomology. When medical professionals attempt to determine onset of symptoms or to clarify past medical and surgical history the Munchausen patient will often become angry, labile, and even argumentative with medical professionals.
Not a hypochondriac who believes in their illness
In addition, patient's exhibiting the condition will appear to worsen physically without a specific cause and they are always eager to undergo new or repeated medical tests. Many patients exhibit med seeking behavior, seeking out narcotics to help "ease" their pain or requesting benzodiazepines to "help decrease" anxiety. Munchausen patients are not hypochondriacs. By definition a hypochondriac believes he or she is ill, while a Munchausen patient knows he or she is not ill, but wants everyone else to believe that he or she is ill.
Intentionally harming themselves to look ill
Munchausen patient's intentionally hurt themselves by contaminating IV lines, catheters, lab tests, and even their own wounds to alter the results and to make themselves look sick. Some mental health professionals believe that Munchausen syndrome is a result of physical, mental, and sexual abuse in childhood, but childhood abuse does not cause Munchausen's syndrome. The reality is no one knows what causes someone to make up factious illnesses and injuries, including cancer and HIV.
WebMD states that Munchausen is more common in males, "or more males are diagnosed with Munchausen", and that the syndrome appears more commonly in young and middle-aged adults. The ultimate goal of a Munchausen patient is to avoid detection. They go to great lengths to prevent discovery. Munchausen patients surround themselves in extreme secrecy when it comes to this syndrome and that makes determining how many people actually have Munchausen syndrome difficult.
Sources:
WebMD Munchausen Syndrome (accessed 08/28/2011).
Erika Lyn Smith - Erika Lyn Smith - is a Psych RN, who has completed the UMSL Medicolegal Death Investigator Training Course, and is finishing a BS in ...
