Sunday, June 30, 2013

Munchausen Syndrome Stories Often Contain Disturbing Facts

By Stacey Massey


Munchausen syndrome is a mental disorder of a serious nature in which an individual with an extremely intense need for attention fakes injuries or illnesses. Those suffering from this condition frequently make up symptoms, insist on having risky treatment, or attempt to skew laboratory results to generate sympathy and concern from those around them. Any person who has reviewed Munchausen syndrome stories has discovered that those afflicted with this disorder need psychiatric care.

The syndrome is named after a German baron who drew a considerable amount of attention to himself by telling fabricated and elaborate stories about his own life. A well-known British doctor named Richard Ashlar created the phrase Munchausen syndrome as a term to describe patients who deliberately told lies about their symptoms or exaggerated their illnesses to get attention.

Symptoms of this mental condition involve producing or faking sicknesses or injuries for the purpose of satisfying deep emotional needs. It is not clear why people with this disorder are unable to fulfill their inner needs in a healthy way. Those suffering from the condition frequently go to extravagant lengths to hide their deception. For this reason, many years often pass before the person, if ever, is diagnosed with a serious psychological problem.

This disorder is not merely inventing health issues for the purpose of achieving a practical benefit. For instance, those who pretend to be sick in order to avoid work, or who fake an injury in order to win a lawsuit are simply being deceptive for a transient purpose, as a means to an end. Those suffering from the aforementioned syndrome typically continue their behavior for many years, and sometimes throughout the course of their life until something brings the deception to the attention of a doctor or family member.

Hypochondria should not be confused with the condition either. Those who suffer from hypochondria truly believe there is some dreaded disease or injury at work in their body that has not yet been diagnosed. However, those with Munchausen are not suffering from an illness or injury, they merely want those around them to think so, and will frequently resort to extreme behavioral patterns to make sure that others believe their story.

Stories about patients suffering from this condition are often startling to sound individuals. For instance, one man admitted to rubbing coffee grains into a cut to cause an infection. This was done after he read that used coffee grains may contain infection-causing bacteria. Another person took aspirin on purpose, although she was well aware that she has an allergy to the medicine. These extraordinary measures are frequently taken by those disturbed in this way so that they can "prove" they are really ill.

There is also a form of this disorder that is acted out by proxy. The latter refers to those who purposely injure other individuals, or attempt to make them ill. The objective of this behavior is usually to attract attention from others as the long-suffering caretaker. Children are often targeted as victims by adults suffering from this condition.

Even though well-adjusted people often find Munchausen syndrome stories disturbing, the condition is treatable. If the appropriate psychiatric care is pursued, recovery for such individuals is often possible. Those who think that someone they know, or themselves, are suffering from the syndrome should pursue medical help at once.




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