can munchausens be classed to a 40 year old female who cares for her elderly parent who has cancer?

Question

the person has obsessive behaviour such as spotlessly clean home.that seems to be more monumental than lived in.other traits are constant reporting to health professionals about unsuitable workers.
giving misleading information to doctors,such as stating the parent is constipated which ends with the patient having evasive treatment. demanding medication for pain then refuses to give it because the patient has not eaten, then telling other hca s she is eating well. the patient does not have long left to live she has dementia and is unable to speak.

Answer 1

From what I understand then yes she could be, I could go into the why's, the if's etc. but that wont help, if you have serious concerns about this person then contact the police, that is the best thing to do.

Answer 2

I have seen these types of behaviours in many family caregivers. These behaviours might not really have anything to do with Munchhausen's. People are under stress and can exhibit all sorts of behaviour. Being overly concerned with making sure the person they care for gets the best perhaps. Sometimes, people may feel that they are the only person that can take care of the patient and no one else is ever going to be good enough.
There may be also other reasons why they are doing this - and probably not aware that they are.
Proper diagnosis of this person (whether it is Munchhausen's or otherwise) is best left to people who know how to do it. Answers you get here in Yahoo! is only opinion and everyone - INCLUDING ME - will have their opinion, but they should not be taken as an expert diagnosis. If you have concerns then discuss the issue with a professional.

Answer 3

Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy was first diagnosed in 1977 (Schreier and Libow 42). This psychiatric disorder involves a parent, most often the mother, fabricating illnesses in her child or children and subjecting them to numerous medical examinations and tests. This disorder was so named because it resembled the adult disorder, Munchausen's Syndrome. The main difference was that a mentally ill person used a child, or in some cases an elderly or handicapped person, as a substitute to inflict illnesses upon. People used this "proxy" instead of their own body (Schreier and Libow 41).

Answer 4

It may not yet be bad enough to be classed as Munchausen's. Depends if she's incontrol of the behaviour, or the behaviour's in control of her. If it's not Munchausen's then it is a form of attention seeking - possibly involving psychosis.

Answer 5

I think that Munchausen's Disease can be (if you've got the disease) used on any human that care's for another. Normally you just hear of it in mother's with small babies or children - but, just because it's the reversal of rolls' - I think the child can still use the disease again her own parents. I don't think there's any given time frame or age that it can affect someone. (Just my guess) It is a pretty creey disease though- because the person's doing it to actually get attention for themselves by hurting dor killing the one's that they love.

Answer 6

Munchausen syndrome is a form of psychological disorder, named after the fictional representation of the German baron, Karl von Münchhausen, and his affinity for telling tall tales. It is described as a factitious disorder in which sufferers feign disease, illness, or psychological trauma despite varying degrees of personal risk, in order to draw attention or sympathy to themselves. The term has also been used to refer to medical professionals who purposely cause inflicted injury or discomfort to a patient so they are able to later treat or heal the patient and receive attention or compliments from co-workers; commonly referred to in modern parlance as "playing god".

Sothis probably would apply in your case

Answer 7

Due to the serious nature of this illness, I would suggest that you get in touch with the authorities ASAP and voice your concerns. Not to do so could put others lives in danger. Good luck and take great care of your self.

Answer 8

That doesn't sound like Munchausen's at all. Munchausen's syndrome is characterized by a patient making herself appear sick (complaining of pain when there is none, taking pills to induce symptomes, etc.) to get attention from doctors. Muchausen's by Proxy is when someone (most often a parent) makes someone else (such as their child) sick to get attention, or to nurse them back to health.

Obsessive behavior is characteristic of OCD, not Munchausen's.

The other behaviors you decribe sound more like a reaction to the stress of caring for a seriously ill relative than a sign of serious mental illness. I don't know what her intentions are, but what you describe could either be obsessing to the point of getting in the way, or elder abuse. Either way, there's nothing in there to suggest Munchausen's.

Answer 9

certainly could be munchausen's by proxy - pretty unusual but given the stressful circumstances not impossible ~x~

Answer 10

Doesn't sound like Munchausens to me.