Thursday, May 16, 2013

Munchausen Syndrome Stories, Symptoms, And Treatment

By Jennie Sandoval


For some, hospitals are a daunting place that should be avoided at all costs. But there are many Munchausen syndrome stories out there that are from people who feel quite the opposite. Here is some basic information on the causes, symptoms, and treatment of this illness.

This is named after an 18th century German aristocrat, Baron von Munchausen. He was known for his wild and ludicrous tales that he would share about himself. This behavioral and psychological syndrome involves patients creating dramatic stories about themselves, more specifically their health, as well. While they are in the hospital undergoing tests, they may alter the test results in order to show they need more medical attention or medication, and they may look eager when the idea of surgery is mentioned.

They may arrive at the health center with a sickness that either they self inflicted or created in their minds. It is not uncommon to hear about pills that were taken to cause certain pain, wounds that were re-opened, or blood thinners that were swallowed.

The idea is that they will receive more attention and concern from people around them, even if they are not family or friends. They like to be looked after and be the center of attention. It is not about finding a way to skip school or get out of work for a few days, nor is it about any type of financial gain. It is simply, but not so simply, about the attention.

Finding the cause is different from case to case. Some may have come from homes where they did not receive attention from their guardians and have now found a temporary solution, while others may have a low self-esteem and have no other way to get attention. Perhaps though it is a personality disorder that has run in the family and has not been looked at medically. It may be a combination of various biological and psychological factors.

This is a very difficult illness to treat, but is extremely important as it is common for many patients who have this to cause self-harm. But because of the dishonesty of the patients, it may take many tests to come to the diagnosis. Doctors need to look at the medical history of the patient and see if it has inconsistencies on where the patient has been treated, what they have come in for in the past, and other irregularities. Some other ways of detecting this syndrome is to check and see if they have multiple scars from previous emergency surgeries,

The longer they are trying to treat it, the better. Unfortunately, in most cases the patients do not want to take any treatment for the disease and they will continue on with their lifestyle. It is known to be a chronic disease with no known way of preventing it. By working with psychologists and psychiatrists and coming up with proper medication, there may be a solution.

There are many sad Munchausen syndrome stories out there and unfortunately there is no known way of preventing this from happening. The best outcome is to detect this syndrome as quickly as possible and to work towards overcoming the illness. If not treated, it will continue on its dark journey of self-harm and possibly death.




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