Munchausen's syndrome is a psychological and behavioural condition where someone pretends to be ill or induces symptoms of illness in themselves.
Munchausen's syndrome is also sometimes known as factitious disorder.
In people with Munchausen's syndrome:
Munchausen's syndrome is named after a German aristocrat, Baron Munchausen, who became famous for telling wild, unbelievable tales about his exploits and past.
Munchausen's syndrome is also sometimes known as factitious disorder.
In people with Munchausen's syndrome:
- they intentionally produce or pretend to have physical or psychological symptoms of illness
- their main intention is to assume the ‘sick role’; have people care for them and be the centre of attention
- there is no practical benefit for them in pretending to be sick – for example, claiming incapacity benefit
Munchausen's syndrome is named after a German aristocrat, Baron Munchausen, who became famous for telling wild, unbelievable tales about his exploits and past.
Types of behaviour
People with Munchausen's syndrome can show different types of behaviour including:
Some people with Munchausen's syndrome may spend years travelling from hospital to hospital feigning a wide range of illnesses. When it is discovered they are lying, they may suddenly leave hospital and move to another district.
People with Munchausen's syndrome can be very manipulative and, in the most serious cases, may undergo painful and sometimes life-threatening surgery, even though they know it is unnecessary.
Read more about the symptoms of Munchausen’s syndrome.
People with Munchausen's syndrome can show different types of behaviour including:
- pretending to have psychological symptoms – for example, claiming to hear voices or claiming to see things that are not really there
- pretending to have physical symptoms – for example, claiming to have chest pain or stomach ache
- actively seeking to make themselves ill – such as deliberately infecting a wound by rubbing dirt into it
Some people with Munchausen's syndrome may spend years travelling from hospital to hospital feigning a wide range of illnesses. When it is discovered they are lying, they may suddenly leave hospital and move to another district.
People with Munchausen's syndrome can be very manipulative and, in the most serious cases, may undergo painful and sometimes life-threatening surgery, even though they know it is unnecessary.
Read more about the symptoms of Munchausen’s syndrome.
What causes Munchausen's syndrome?
Munchausen’s syndrome is a complex and poorly understood condition and it is still unclear why people with the condition behave in the way they do.
Some experts have argued that Munchausen’s syndrome is a type of personality disorder. Personality disorders are a type of mental health condition where an individual has a distorted pattern of thoughts and beliefs about themselves and others. This leads them to behave in ways most people would regard as disturbed and abnormal.
Another theory is that the condition may be the result of parental neglect and abandonment, resulting in feelings of childhood trauma which causes them to fake illness.
Read more about the possible causes of Munchausen’s syndrome.
Munchausen’s syndrome is a complex and poorly understood condition and it is still unclear why people with the condition behave in the way they do.
Some experts have argued that Munchausen’s syndrome is a type of personality disorder. Personality disorders are a type of mental health condition where an individual has a distorted pattern of thoughts and beliefs about themselves and others. This leads them to behave in ways most people would regard as disturbed and abnormal.
Another theory is that the condition may be the result of parental neglect and abandonment, resulting in feelings of childhood trauma which causes them to fake illness.
Read more about the possible causes of Munchausen’s syndrome.
Treatment
Treating Munchausen’s syndrome can be challenging as most people with the condition refuse to admit they are faking illness.
For those who do admit their behaviour is abnormal, talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy can sometimes be effective.
Read more about the treatment of Munchausen’s syndrome.
Treating Munchausen’s syndrome can be challenging as most people with the condition refuse to admit they are faking illness.
For those who do admit their behaviour is abnormal, talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy can sometimes be effective.
Read more about the treatment of Munchausen’s syndrome.
Who is affected
There appear to be two distinct groups of people affected by Munchausen's syndrome:
It is not known exactly how common Munchausen's syndrome is. Some experts believe it is under-diagnosed because many people with the condition succeed in deceiving medical staff. It is also possible that cases of Munchausen's syndrome may be over-diagnosed because the same person could use different identities.
A large study carried out in a Canadian hospital estimated that out of 1,300 patients there were 10 who were faking symptoms of illness.
There appear to be two distinct groups of people affected by Munchausen's syndrome:
- women who are 20 to 40 years of age, who often have a background in healthcare, such as working as a nurse or a medical technician
- unmarried white men who are 30 to 50 years of age
It is not known exactly how common Munchausen's syndrome is. Some experts believe it is under-diagnosed because many people with the condition succeed in deceiving medical staff. It is also possible that cases of Munchausen's syndrome may be over-diagnosed because the same person could use different identities.
A large study carried out in a Canadian hospital estimated that out of 1,300 patients there were 10 who were faking symptoms of illness.
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