Rita Mae Brown, an American writer, once said, “The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you” (Brown). Psychological and mental disorders are very common in the world, but it is commonly hidden by the public and a majority of the time, people are unclear if they have one or not. Sometimes these disorders are not just harmful to the individual person, but also to those surrounding the infected person. One particular syndrome in which the environment surrounding a person is at risk is Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a peculiar psychological disease that scientists and other medical professions are still trying to find the origins and explanations for this syndrome. Throughout the course of history, Munchausen has developed into a full-fledged disease and it still exists to this day.
Munchausen syndrome is an interesting and very peculiar disorder typically involving a parent’s oppressive attitude over their child. Janet and Robert Squires write in their article “A Review of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy” in Pediatric Annals break up the definition of Munchausen into separate components that states that the “child's illness is fictitious or induced by a caregiver, interaction with the health care system results in multiple medical tests and procedures, denial by the caregiver as to the cause of the child's illness, and symptoms abate following separation of the child from the caregiver” (Squires). Munchausen is seen by most clinical and social specialists as a form of child abuse. The parent completely neglects the child and uses them only to feel needed. Munchau...
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...ological disease that scientists and other medical professions are still trying to find the origins and explanations for this syndrome. Throughout the course of history, Munchausen has developed into a full-fledged disease and it still exists to this day. There is much that still needs to be learned about MSP in general, but every time there is an instance of this specific syndrome, it gives us the potential to gain a better understanding of it every day. Although there are many small and minute cases of MSP, the combination of them all allows our society to better adapt to them. Munchausen has caught some pop culture and media attention so far in the 21st century and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. With proper concentration and willingness to understand information, society will be able to obtain a full definition of Munchausen syndrome as well as treatments.
Artingstall, Kathryn.. Practical Aspects of Munchausen by Proxy and Munchausen Syndrome Investigation.. FL: CRC Press, 1999. Print. (tags: none | edit tags)
The United States defines child maltreatment as “any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious injury or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm” (McCoy & Keen, 2009, p. 63). This legal definition is better understood by the idea that a caregiver repeatedly fails to provide the most basic care necessary for a child. Although abandonment is often the first thing that comes to mind when one hears the word “neglect...
Child abuse is usually recognized by a pattern of physical injuries or outward appearance of neglect. From RelayHealth, Munchausen Syndrome by proxy is a mental disorder, causing illness in others, usually children, to get sympathy and attention for the abuser. With the mental disorder of MSBP documented, the behaviors of the abuser and victims should be easy to identify, but it is not. Any parent/guardian entering the emergency room insisting on immediate care for their child would be considered a suspect. According to RelayHealth, dishonesty is a key part of the disorder, and of the abusers: 90% are the mothers. Imagine a mother who is able to manipulate an experienced doctor against his better judgment to perform unnecessary treatments and tests; now th...
Siegel, D. (2009). Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: A Pediatrician’s Observations. Families, Systems, & Health, 27(1), 113-115.
Meadow R. Munchausen syndrome by proxy: The hinterland of child abuse. The Lancet. 1977;2:343-345. 2. Morris M. Munchausen syndrome by proxy and factitious illness. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 1991;4:225-230. 3. Sigal M, Gelkopf M, Meadow RS. Munchausen by proxy syndrome: the triad of abuse, self-abuse, and deception. Compr Psychiatry. 1989;30:527533.
Mental Health is a chronic misdiagnosis today. For many years, mental illnesses were down played and not taken seriously. Physicians thought women suffered from “the baby blues” when in reality, they were suffering from serious illnesses. Woman who were not treated properly for depression would spiral into out of control psychosis.
Psychological maltreatment is also often referred to interchangeably as emotional or mental abuse. This refers to any form of maltreatment that can be categorized as an individual being subjected to the activities of another individual that frequently result in any form of mental trauma of the victim. Psychological maltreatment can be seen as one of the most serious and slightly overlooked problems in modern society (Lesson & Nixon, 2010). In general, psychological maltreatment is considered any kind of abuse that is emotional opposed to physical in nature. Nevertheless, there is much controversy regarding the true definition and consequences of psychological maltreatment. As of now, psychological maltreatment is one of the most difficult forms of maltreatment to detect and
The term Munchausen syndrome by Proxy was originally coined by Meadow in (1977), to describe a situation in which a caregiver "creates factitious symptoms or signs in order to mislead the physician into believing the child is ill" (Blumenthal, 106). Meadow (2002) further defines Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy,
Pietrangelo, A. (2012, September 6). Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Retrieved June 12, 2014, from http://www.healthline.com/health/munchausen-syndrome-by-proxy#Causes4
...ical paralysis, which is when a person pretends to have a paralyzed limb so they don’t have to do certain things, Munchausen, when a person acts out symptoms of certain illnesses so people will think that they are ill, and Munchausen by proxy, when a person creates symptoms in other people to make others think they are ill. The perpetrator may have many motives such as a mental illness, they are seeking sympathy, financial problems, or revenge (types of stalkers, 2014).
Mental illness is something that people do not like to talk about because of the stigma associated with it. Mental illness is a common, yet misunderstood medical condition that changes cognitive, mental, and social skills. Some common mental illnesses include depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. These diseases and disorders can affect multiple parts of a person’s personality and change a person’s mental capacity. Some of the main causes of mental illness are genetic, traumatic, and environmental. Genetic mental illness is contained in a person’s genetics and travels through genes. This mental illness travels from parents to children. Traumatic mental illness, like PTSD, affects many people but is common in military service men and women. Traumatic events can alter the way that the brain functions. Anxiety, sleeplessness, and rage are common symptoms of this trauma. These changes to the brain are not permanent, and with therapy and treatment, the damage is reversible. Environmental mental illness is a very common mental illness with links to environmental factors like drugs...
Many times what we see in movies do not betray the reality of psychological disorders. It may be that the characters are over exaggerated or that the symptoms are for a different illness rather than the one said to be. However, there are some movies that do a good job describing an illness as well as providing a interesting story. Such as the movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the main character is Charlie Kelmeckis. With Charlie the audience is able to see the reality of several illness. Using the lectures provided in psychology class along with Psych Central I am about to "diagnosis" Charlie with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression due to PTSD.
Psychiatry is a medical field that deals with the diagnoses, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. The FDA is constantly approving drugs for psychiatrists to use that are supposed to help with in their practice. For example, Michael Levin-Epstein, who wrote the article “A New Way to Deliver Psychiatric Meds: Drugs for ADHD and Major Depression Now Can Be Delivered with Skin Patches,” shows how pharmacotherapy is continually being advanced by new ideas and approaches. However, Psychiatric drugs are not always the answer. Prescriptions are not a good remedy when it comes to the overcoming of a mental illnesses, because there is not enough information regarding the effects of the drugs, pharmaceutical companies are driven by profits,
Factitious disorder is a condition in which a person will act as if he or she has a physical or mental illness when he or she is not sick. The person or patient will be consciously and deliberately creating, exaggerating, fabricating signs and warnings of the illness for the purpose of simulating the sick character. The patient with factitious disorder will knowingly fake symptoms for psychological reasons, not for monetary. The patient in undertaking the sick role may go from one medical facility to another medical service in order to receive attention and treatment. Patients with this condition will sometimes be ready to undergo painful and risky tests and operations in order to gain sympathy and individual attention that is typically given to a person who is truthfully sick.
Malingering must be understood to grasp the difference between it and a more worry- some disorder: Factitious Disorder. Malingering, which is not considered a psychological disorder, is commonly identified, and termed as sufferers that want to gain something financial from the outcome of falsifying an illness. Factitious Disorder is often misdiagnosed and overlooked, is defined as the intentional action of misrepresenting an illness and there is no obvious benefit except for having an inner need to only calling attention to oneself and gaining emotional sympathy.