what is Munchausen's syndrome?

Answer 1

Munchausen syndrome is a psychiatric disorder in which those affected fake disease, illness, or psychological trauma in order to draw attention or sympathy to themselves. It is in a class of disorders known as factitious disorders which involve "illnesses" whose symptoms are either self-induced or falsified by the patient. It is also sometimes known as Hospital addiction syndrome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munchausen_syndrome

I did a report this semester for my abnormal psychology class on Munchausen by proxy. In Munchausen by proxy a caregiver, usually the mother, fakes or induces an illness in another person, usually her or his child, to gain attention and sympathy as the "worried" parent.

Both syndromes are really interesting to read about. It's amazing some of the stuff people do.

Answer 2

There is Munchausen's syndrome and Munchausen's syndrome by proxy.

The first is also called pathomimicry. Munchausen's is a factitious disorder. This is a mental illness in which a person repeatedly acts as if they has a physical or mental disorder when, in fact, it's they who caused the symptoms. They have an inner need to seen as ill or injured and will go so far as to have numerous tests and surgeries to get the sympathy and attention they seek. Muchausen's is associated with severe emotional problems.

Maunchausen's syndrome by proxy is similar. It's also called Factitious Disorder by Proxy. 98% of the time, it's the mother or a female caregiver who deliberately makes another person sick (typically a preschooler and his or her own child) or convinces the child that he's truly sick. Such a parent/caregiver lies and exaggerates symptoms or induces them. Doctors will order tests and when nothing definitive is found will hospitalize the child. The parent/caregiver gets attention and sympathy from the hospital staff. It isn't just the attention that is sought, they get satisfaction out of deceiving people they consider to be more important than they are. Often the parent/caregiver has familiarity with the medical profession or may be employed in the health care industry. The diagnosis of this disorder is extremely difficult to make.

Answer 3

Munchausen Syndrome is faking illness for attention. This disorder is associated with severe emotional problems. Munchausen by proxy is where a child is used as a surrogate patient by the parent.

Answer 4

Munchausen's syndrome is when you fake being ill for the attention and the sympathy that you get. You fake having stomach pains and keep it up long enough to have surgery for no reason, stuff like that.

Munchausen by proxy is when you create these symptoms on your child or someone else in your care.

Answer 5

Today, Munchausen's Syndrome is a recognized psychiatric disorder. The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Disorders (DSM III-R) describes it as the "intentional production of physical symptoms."

Tragically, MSBP victims are usually children, and the perpetrators are almost always parents or parent substitutes. If and when victims are hospitalized, they may be subjected to multiple, and at times, dangerous diagnostic procedures that invariably produce negative or confounding results. When the victim and abuser are separated, however, the victim's symptoms cease. When confronted, the abuser characteristically denies any knowledge of how the child's illness occurred.

http://www.ashermeadow.com/Whatis.htm

Answer 6

The answer above is a good, clinical description. However, the basics are a caregiver (almost always the mother) will inflict injury or harm on his/her child/children in order to get attention and sympathy for themselves. They will take the child to the hospital or the doctor with real or made-up symptoms, thus subjecting the child to batteries of frequently unneeded tests. I am familiar with cases where a parent/caregiver will expose the child to molestation by others in order to garner the praise for the courage to turn in the perpetrator and the sympathy of having a child so traumatized. It is a pathetic, and sick, way to gain attention.

Answer 7

This is a medical term for a parent who makes their child sick in order to gain attention for their self. Bettyokie

Answer 8

Its a disorder when people hurt themselves in order to get attention

Answer 9

On other words, the child is mentally manipulated to believe they are sick, when in fact they are physically poisoned or mentally brainwashed into thinking so.