A factitious disorder is a condition in which a person acts as if they have an illness by intentionally producing, feigning, or exaggerating symptoms of that illness.
This disorder can be seen in two forms. One is factitious disorder imposed on self (also known as Munchausen syndrome) and the other is factitious disorder imposed on others (Munchausen by Proxy).
With the first type of this disorder the person mimics or exaggerates the behaviors of various physical or mental disorders that they claim to have. On the other hand in the second type of this which is Munchausen by proxy, the perpetuator falsifies symptoms of illnesses for people under their care. Research shows that people who have Munchausen by proxy are mostly the biological mothers and the victim here is the child. This is a serious form of child abuse.
Causes:
Some common causes according to research are :
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Having a history of child abuse or trauma
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Dysfunctional families
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Professional experience in healthcare industry
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Other psychological factors
What do they seek?
Most of the times the person does not do this for a financial benefit but rather because of the inner gratification. They seek attention and sympathy most of the time and can go to any extent of painful procedures (on self or others) in order to get that attention. Having said that in the recent past there was a real incident of Munchausen by proxy in USA where the mother had falsified and abused the child for severe health disorders that the child never had. The documentary “Mommy dead and dearest” speaks about a mother and a child where the child was the victim for several years and was made to undergo umpteen surgical procedures and eventually ends up planning the murder of the mother. This real incident brings to light how manipulative the person with this syndrome could be. The mother in this case has managed to escape the eyes of several health practitioners, police, voluntary organizations and was successful in getting all the attention as well as the material benefits (house, trip to Disney, Gift cheques etc) contrary to the belief that the person seeks attention more than financial benefit.
Treatment
Treatment for the person with factitious disorder on self or factitious disorder imposed on others could be a challenge because often the person does not understand that they have this disorder. Psychotherapy can be a suitable form of treatment where the person could learn some alternative thoughts and behaviors. Ensuring safety of the person or the victim is also a primary goal of the treatment in this case.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
About MindTribe.in.
MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.
About the Author.
Sridevi Kakuturi is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.