Illness can bring a host of problems not only for the individual but also for those around them. Qualified help from a psychotherapist is the first step necessary for a return to normalcy.
The name “Munchausen” is typically associated with world literature. This is how the German writer Rudolf Erich Raspe named the main character of his novel. First published in 1786, the work has been adapted several times, including for a younger audience. Films, both live-action and animated, have been made based on its themes, and plays are staged in theaters across various countries.
However, Baron Munchausen, who, by the way, was a real person rather than a fictional character, has “gifted” his name not only to fantasists and liars. This name has also been used to describe a rather complex ailment that falls under the category of mental disorders. If you’re wondering what it’s called when a person invents illnesses for themselves, the answer is Munchausen syndrome.
How to Recognize When Someone is Faking Illness
A mother who clutches her heart and calls for an ambulance whenever her adult children do something “wrong.” Or a grandmother who has exhausted all the doctors at her clinic with a litany of ailments, insisting they either don’t want to or can’t treat her. Or a young woman who concocts various health problems to avoid going to work, claiming they prevent her from being in the office for eight hours. All these individuals are potential victims of a mental disorder romantically dubbed “Munchausen syndrome.”
Faking illness is the most significant sign accompanying this issue. That’s why medical professionals refer to this mental disorder as “factitious disorder.” In other words, the individual decides how they will “demonstrate” their symptoms to the doctor. The patient approaches this process so seriously that they eventually begin to genuinely believe in their own “ailments.”
Unfortunately, Munchausen syndrome is not just an innocent lie about fabricated illnesses. Such a person can harm themselves or inflict pain to make their suffering appear as authentic as possible. They often falsify their test results—adding blood or other indicators to their urine, for example.
When it comes to faking illness to a doctor, the imagination of these patients works perfectly. If the specialist or those around them don’t “fall for” the feigned actions, the “Munchausen” becomes deeply offended, starts to create a scene, and exhibits aggression. They seek out different doctors, searching for one who will finally diagnose the “correct” illness.
What is Munchausen Syndrome and How to Identify It?
Understanding this issue and recognizing the illness when a person is lying can be quite challenging at first. The main reason lies in the intense simulation of illness—the lies and omissions that accompany the patient’s condition. However, skilled professionals know several signs that allow them to quickly discern who they are dealing with. Thus, the primary symptoms of Munchausen syndrome include:
- Clear contradictions in the medical history—there are complaints from the patient about symptoms, but tests and examinations do not indicate any pathologies;
- The person has been “caught” falsifying test results or attempting to become ill—they inflict physical harm on themselves or take medications that induce the symptoms they desire;
- Fabricated health problems appear in the patient when they are not being observed—any seizures or dizziness occurred “yesterday” or “last night,” not now;
- Treatment yields no results, raising suspicions of the patient’s non-compliance;
- A long list of doctors the patient has seen;
- Extensive knowledge in the medical field—the person bombards the doctor with specialized terminology;
- A strong desire to be hospitalized, readily agreeing to all procedures and manipulations;
- Noticeable psychological issues.
One or two of the symptoms listed above are sufficient to suspect the presence of Munchausen effect. If there are three or more, the diagnosis becomes evident.
Munchausen Syndrome: Causes
No one knows for sure why this illness occurs when a person constantly lies. It is commonly believed that individuals with factitious disorder seek to be the center of attention to receive more care and concern from those around them. In their quest for sympathy and the special attention typically given to genuinely ill individuals, they are often willing to go to extremes. The main causes of illness simulation include:
Lack of Attention and Care in Early Childhood
This is often the case when there is a critical shortage. In other words, the problem develops against the backdrop of a previously experienced severe psychological trauma—such as abuse or neglect of the child’s needs. Such a person learns that they cannot live without sympathy, attention, and pity, and they do everything to secure at least a portion of warmth. Unfortunately, in such cases, the affected individuals require psychiatric help. This mental illness, characterized by lying, is most commonly found in women aged 20-40 and unmarried men aged 30-50.
Excessive Care in Childhood
Typically, these individuals were very ill during their early years. This period is associated with feelings of warmth and support, so they strive to regain those feelings of security by seeking various means to feign illness.
Symptoms of Other Mental Disorders
Munchausen syndrome is often closely linked to other personality disorders at the psychological level—anxiety disorders, narcissism, sociopathy. This only indicates that such a person must undergo testing for mental illness.
It is important to note that a person suffering from this syndrome does not seek material gain; they only want care and love. In other words, their behavior is not manipulative but merely a simulation.
What is Delegated Munchausen Syndrome?
Essentially, this is a distinct form of the illness that was identified only in 1977 by pediatrician Professor Roy Meadow. In this situation, the parents of the child determine how to simulate illness. Thus, they “delegate”—impose the illness onto another person. Naturally, this pertains to children. A mother or father attempts to convince not only their child but also everyone around them that the child is ill and requires treatment. Statistically, Munchausen syndrome is more commonly found in mothers. They seek increased attention and sympathy.
Delegated Munchausen syndrome is considered a form of child abuse—approximately 7 percent of cases lead to fatalities. Often, the person responsible for the child—whether a guardian or mother—may fabricate symptoms, even inflicting physical harm on the small body. Unfortunately, diagnosing such a problem can be quite challenging—sometimes a child is “treated” for months or even years.
Adults suffering from this mental illness devise various methods to simulate illness. They may inject the child with urine, blood, or feces to induce a specific illness. They do not hesitate to use medications that cause vomiting or diarrhea, provoking doctors to prescribe biopsies or surgical interventions.
The media has reported numerous instances where delegated Munchausen syndrome led to a child’s death and their parents facing prison time. One such story involves a three-year-old boy from the Chilean town of Valparaíso, who was “treated” at the Carlos van Buren Hospital for nine months. During this time, the child spent 80 days in the hospital and underwent multiple courses of antibiotics. The official diagnosis was “otitis media,” but no one could determine the cause of the illness. In the hospital, the child quickly improved, but after being discharged home, all symptoms returned. Additionally, the young patient was delayed in his overall development.
Eventually, doctors began to suspect something was amiss. However, the truth was revealed accidentally—one day, a roommate in the ward noticed the boy’s mother secretly giving him an injection away from the doctors. She immediately reported this, and after a search, syringes and vials of medication were found under the boy’s mattress. The court prohibited the mother from approaching her son, and he quickly began to recover. After leaving the hospital, he was placed with his grandmother, while the mother was subjected to forced treatment for Munchausen syndrome. Fortunately, this case did not have negative consequences, although in many other cases, the outcomes are different.
Munchausen Syndrome: Treatment
Treating this issue is even more complex than diagnosing it. In most cases, the mentally ill person does not acknowledge their pathology. Knowing how to simulate illness, they also know how to pretend to be mentally healthy.
It should be noted that medications are rarely used in this area. However, if the patient exhibits heightened anxiety or depressive states, the doctor may prescribe certain sedatives or tranquilizers.
Nonetheless, the primary method remains psychotherapy. An important step is for the patient to recognize their problem. Relatives and friends of the “Munchausen” also play a crucial role in this case. Their task is to gently and unobtrusively help the individual realize that they have an illness and understand that they need to fight it.
Ultimately, everything will depend on the psychotherapist. Many different techniques have been developed in this area to help change the patient’s thinking and behavior—so they can rid themselves of obsessive thoughts about illnesses and their perceived uselessness.
If you notice symptoms of such a disorder in yourself or your loved ones, don’t hesitate or postpone a visit to a psychotherapist “for later.” Qualified help from a specialist can timely correct behavior, preventing the development of complications or even real, non-fabricated illnesses.