what is the meaning of the word munchausen?

Question

i heard the word on that show law and order. i was wondering what it meant?

Answer 1

It is hurting or making yourself sick for attention. The by proxy is when someone hurts their child for attention

Answer 2

It comes from Baron von Munchausen (there's an oomlat over the "u"). He lived from 1720 to 1797 and was an adventurer and a massive liar. There are two disorders: Munchausen's syndrome and Munchausen's syndrome by proxy. In the first, the person habitually seeks treatment and hospitalization for an imaginary illness. This person may convincingly present with the symptoms and history of an actual disorder. The symptoms resolve with treatment but the person seeks treatment for another imagined illness.

What you law on Law & Order was, I believe, a reference to the second disorder, Munchausen's by proxy. It's a variation in which a parent fabricates or induces illlness in a child with the sole intent of of gaining attention and keeping in contact with hospitals and medical staff. It is nearly always the mother who is afflicted and she wishes to be seen as a good parent who "saves" her child from disaster. Children have been known to endure dozens of surgeries and hospitalizations for illness induced by the parent. Unfortunately, about 9% of the children eventually die.

Answer 3

Kaizoku has it right. The Graf von Munchausen had named after him a psychiatric disorder in which one simulates illnesses, and these patients often have many scars from previous surgeries for their troubles. Munchausen by proxy, though quite rare, was all the rage in the popular media a few years ago. Typically a mother will use her child (the proxy) in her stead, and it's the child who has multiple hard-to-explain illnesses and perhaps surgeries from simulated ills.

Answer 4

It's Munchhausen Syndrome. It's a form of abuse where the abuser of, most often, young children, abuses or nearly kills a child, then rushes that child to an emergency room at a hospital, appearing to be the one responsible for saving the abused child's life, rather than endangering it. They look like heros for saving the child's life. VERY DANGEROUS! The person committing the abuse is extremely sick and in need of counseling and frequently, incarceration to protect the lives of those being abused.

Answer 5

This is a disease typically where a parent hurts a child, or feeds a child something to make him or her become ill, so that they can "rescue" the child or become a "hero" to the child. Often it becomes a deadly situation. Spelling isn't quite right, but can't remember how it's spelled...but it's Muenchasens Proxy, or something like that.

Answer 6

h Munchhausen doesn't have a meaning: It's a name: A name of a Baron that was an Ace in the German Air Corps; His full title was Baron VonMunchausen

Answer 7

German soldier and raconteur known for his fantastic stories about his adventures as a hunter, sportsman, and soldier.

If you wanna know any other words just type it in on dictionary.com