Are You Sick, or Do You Just Want Attention?
Most of us, in our youth, were probably asked this question in some form or another at least once by our parents; and most of us would probably admit to having faked being sick at least once in our lives. It is interesting, then, to note that there seems actually to be a pathology associated with this kind of behavior known as Munchausen syndrome.
What, technically, is Munchausen syndrome? According to the Merck Manual, it is "Repeated fabrication of physical illness - usually acute, dramatic, and convincing - by a person who wanders from hospital to hospital for treatment." (1) People suffering from this disorder will even go so far as to inflict physical harm upon themselves in order to get the attention they want. Generally, it is associated with a past history of severe neglect and abuse inflicted upon the subject. It is important at this point to differentiate between Munchausen and two other pathological behaviors for which it might be mistaken: unlike hypochondriacs, Munchausen sufferers are conscious of the fact that they are not genuinely sick (2); unlike malingerers (people who fake or induce the symptoms of illness for some external gain, such as the prescription of painkillers (3)) the behavior of an overwhelming majority of Munchausen sufferers cannot be attributed to conscious motives. (1)
A far more alarming variant of this disorder, known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, has also been documented. In these cases, the subject fabricates the existence of physical illness in another person, usually the subject's child. The same sorts of behaviors occur - faking or simulating the symptoms of illness, resorting to physical harm in order to induce those symptoms. Even though the parent - the Munchausen sufferer - will always appear to be deeply concerned for the child's welfare, her actions will not infrequently result in the child's being severely deformed or even dying. (2) Both variants of this disorder are highly uncommon.
At present, people with either Munchausen syndrome or Munchausen syndrome by proxy are seldom, if ever, treated with drugs. Standard methods of management and treatment include early recognition of the disorder and years of intensive counseling; many doctors believe that the disorders are not treatable, inferring from the nature of the disorders that giving the subject medical attention would in fact heighten the severity of their pathology. (2) Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy are rarely treated successfully.
Cary, Mary Kate. "5 Ways New Media Are Changing Politics." 4 Feburary 2010. U.S. News. 14 October 2015
Siegel, D. (2009). Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: A Pediatrician’s Observations. Families, Systems, & Health, 27(1), 113-115.
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.
Malingering is to make believe that a person is sick due to a physical or mental illness to avoid unpleasable consequences while denial is an act to oppress reality and deny its existence. In criminal cases, many suspects have tried to perform both of these strategies in order to receive a smaller sentence, but in fact, the person either spends a greater amount in a mental health institution or prison.
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,
Wu, Li-Tzy, Dan G. Blazer, Marvin S. Swartz, Bruce Burchett and Kathleen T. Brady. 2013. "Illicit and Nonmedical Drug Use among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, and Mixed-Race Individuals." Drug & Alcohol Dependence 133(2):360-67. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.06.008.
considered a mental illness, however her being a married woman forced to stay at home and
The researchers present findings that indicate that a politician’s popularity in the voting booth may be related to the frequency with which the candidate is talked about on social media. The researchers goes on to discuss how further research may conclude that social media has a bigger impact on voting outcomes than traditional forms of media, and how that could potentially shape the future of voting.
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