What is Munchausen Syndrome?
Munchausen Syndrome is an extremely disturbing medical condition-often going undetected for decades. It is a form of psychological disorder known as a factitious disorder, in which a person repeatedly acts as if he or she has a physical or mental disorder when, in truth, they have caused the symptoms. This condition is also known as hospital addiction, surgical addiction and professional patient syndrome. They fake symptoms and signs of physical illnesses
People with factitious disorders act this way because of an inner need to be seen as ill or injured, not to achieve a concrete benefit, such as financial gain. They are even willing to undergo painful or risky tests and operations in order to get the sympathy and special attention given to people who are truly ill. Munchausen syndrome is a mental illness associated with severe emotional difficulties. In this disease patients create a physical disability and move from hospital to hospital seeking treatment. (Haddy R., 1993).
Who Munchausen Syndrome is named after:
Munchausen Syndrome was named after Baron Von Muchausen 1720-1797. It is a psychological disorder in which an individual will go to great lengths to convince others that they are seriously ill.
In 1951, Sir Richard Asher (father of Jane Asher) was the first to describe a pattern of self-abuse, where individuals fabricated histories of illness. Remembering Baron von Munchausen, Asher named this condition Munchausen's Syndrome. Originally, this term was used for all factitious disorders. Now, however, there is considered to be a wide range of factitious disorders, and the diagnosis of "Munchausen syndrome" is reserved for the most severe form, where the simulation of disease is the central activity of the sufferer's life. (Haddy R.,1993).
Symptoms of Munchausen syndrome:
The Munchausen patient presents a wide array of physical or psychiatric symptoms, usually limited only by their medical knowledge................
