Of Joy Sota
The Munchausen syndrome and Minhausen by proxy is a serious mental disorder in which one person pretends to be ill or causes another person to have a physical or mental illness.
This syndrome in recent years has been renamed “Factitious disorder”.
People with this disorder deliberately cause symptoms of an illness in order to receive care and attention in a medical setting. The symptoms are not meant to bring them practical benefits, the gain is believed to be mainly psychological.
The two types of imaginary disorder?
Self-imposed mental disorder: This type involves the falsification of psychological or physical signs or symptoms. The person may look confused, make irrational statements and report hallucinations (the experience of feeling things that do not exist, for example, hearing voices).
Fictitious disorder imposed on another: People with this disorder produce or make symptoms of the disease in others under their care: children, the elderly, people with disabilities or pets. It occurs more often in mothers (although it can occur in fathers) who intentionally harm their children to get attention. The diagnosis is not given to the victim, but to the perpetrator.
What are the warning signs of the syndrome?
• Heavy but inconsistent medical history.
Vague symptoms that are not controlled, become more severe or change as soon as treatment is started.
• Unpredictable recurrences after improvement of the condition.
Extensive knowledge of hospitals and / or medical terminology, as well as disease descriptions.
• Presence of many surgical scars.
• Appearance of new or additional symptoms after negative test results.
• Presence of symptoms only when the patient is alone or not monitored.
• Willingness for medical examinations, surgeries or other procedures.
• History of seeking treatment in many hospitals, clinics and clinics, possibly even in different cities.
• The patient’s reluctance to allow health professionals to meet or talk with family members, friends, and former health care providers.
• Refusal of psychiatric or psychological evaluation.
Prediction of negative medical results despite the lack of data.
• The patient undermines plans for discharge or suddenly becomes ill as he is about to be discharged from the hospital.
What is the imaginary disorder imposed on another (Minhausen by proxy)?
When someone has this mental illness, they can behave like a child or their dependent person has a medical condition that needs attention.
However, the child or dependent is not sick. People with Munchausen Syndrome through the Lie lie about the other person’s illness. The other person is usually someone in their care, often a child under 6 years old. In some cases, the dependent may be another adult, a person with a disability, or an elderly person.
Another type of imaginary disorder involves creating false medical statements about yourself. Fictional disorders are considered mental illnesses because they are associated with severe emotional distress.
In cases where a child is involved, the syndrome is considered a form of abuse by the American Occupational Abuse Society.
What is the motivation behind the disorder?
There can be many different reasons why one person causes illness to another. Often, people with the disorder have an internal need for their child (or other dependent) to be considered ill or injured. This is not done to achieve a specific benefit, such as financial gain. It is often done to gain the sympathy and special attention given to people who are really sick and to their families.
What are the signs of Munchausen Syndrome by proxy?
An adult with the disorder often does not leave the bed of his child or caregiver. Also at every opportunity will discuss in detail the symptoms and the care that the person needs under their protection. This is usually used as proof that he is a good caregiver and does a thorough job. If symptoms subside when the child is in the hospital, they will most likely return when the caregiver with the disorder is home alone with the child.
Some other possible warning signs:
• The child or dependent has a history of multiple medical conditions. Often, there will also be a strange set of symptoms.
• The symptoms of the child or dependent are generally reported by the mother (or other caregiver with FDIA) and not by witnesses from the hospital staff.
• The condition and symptoms of the child or dependent do not match the results of the diagnostic tests.
• The condition of the child or dependent improves in the hospital, but the symptoms recur as soon as they get home.
• Blood in laboratory samples that does not match the blood of the child or dependent.
The child or dependent may have traces of chemicals in the blood, feces or urine.
• There may also be a family history of one or more unusual illnesses or deaths of children.
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