Munchausen syndrome is one of the so-called artificial (artificial) disorders. Patients with this disorder do not suffer from a physical illness, they make up their symptoms.
In order to make the invented disease appear more
believable, those affected often harm themselves when
they suffer from Munchausen syndrome. As an insert, "By proxy"
indicates that the person affected does not fake the disease for himself, but
for a person close to him or is actively producing it. Syndrome or
surrogate hypochondria syndrome). Most
of the time, the person close to you is your own child. Important: Faking
or creating an illness in him is considered a form of child abuse , also because the child has to
go to the doctor again and again and he may initiate treatment that is not even
needed.
Munchausen syndrome occurs rarely, but it is a
major challenge for teams of doctors and lawyers. It is often difficult to
convict the affected person, as patients with Munchausen syndrome change
clinics as soon as doctors confront them with their suspicions. In
addition, the syndrome often occurs together with other diseases such as
personality disorders, depression or addictions. It is not clear whether
those affected consciously control their behavior and whether they can be held
responsible for it.
Munchhausen syndrome: symptoms
Munchausen syndrome has different forms . Affected people usually - but
not always - show the following signs:
- Faking
illness: People suffering from Münchhausen
syndrome invent illnesses in themselves or in their child, sometimes
accompanied by adventurous illness stories. Psychologists also call
this notorious lying pathological lying or pseudologia phantastica.
- Harming
yourself: Patients with Munchausen syndrome often
injure themselves or the affected child in order to convince doctors of
the disease. This self-harming behavior often
includes people adding blood or sugar to the urine and taking laxatives or
other drugs.
- Forcing
Therapy: People with Munchausen Syndrome often
urge doctors to seek treatment. They are not afraid of inpatient
stays or operations and consent immediately.
- Avoiding
confrontation: If a doctor confronts the affected
person with the suspicion that the disease was merely invented, he or
she often stops treatment. Those affected then usually turn to the
nearest doctor or hospital.
Munchausen syndrome: causes
For outsiders, the behavior of patients with
Munchausen Syndrome is a mystery. Even experts can not conclusively explain the cause of Munchausen
Syndrome . However, they suspect that those affected are faking
the disease in order to get attention and care . This
is usually due to a personality disorder or
trauma in one's own childhood - for example through violence and abuse.
One possible reason for Munchausen-by-proxy
syndrome is that the mother or father tries to relieve tension in the marriage
through the allegedly ill child.
Munchausen Syndrome: Therapy
Doctors and relatives are usually stunned when they
find out that the person concerned is merely simulating the symptoms. It
is important, however, that patients with Munchausen
Syndrome are sick and need help.
Doctors usually treat Munchausen syndrome
with psychotherapy . The therapist tries to find
the trigger of the syndrome and work through it. The therapy is most
effective when the patient can be treated as an inpatient and over a longer
period of time. A interval therapy with
multiple hospitalizations and individual therapy sessions between them is
meaningful.
If the patient suffers from comorbidities, doctors
can also use drugs such as neuroleptics (drugs against
agitation, hallucinations, etc.) or antidepressants.
In the Munchausen-by-proxy syndrome, doctors must
also call in the youth welfare office and, in severe cases, the
police. Usually, the best option is to separate the child from the parent concerned . The respective
child is usually traumatized and also needs psychotherapeutic help. It is
also important to notes that siblings or other close people can be at risk -
and to check this.