There is always something wrong. [Munchausen Syndrome]
Psychological disorders have a intense impact on people, the disorders can often take over the people who are suffering with it and control their lives. Certain disorders make medical doctors jobs very difficult, one of the disorders that contributes to this problem is munchausen syndrome. This disorder is where a patient lies about a medical ailment or random issue that was caused intentionally just for the attention and extensive medical procedure. Munchausen syndrome is also used interchangeably with factitious disorder.
People with munchausen syndrome often cause harm to themselves or make up a medical ailment to be hospitalized. They are usually more than eager to undergo any major medical procedures, they will go from hospital to hospital and doctor to doctor. Sometimes they will make up lies about themselves, and their true medical state they just want to be a patient. According to Turner and Reid munchausens attributes to about 10% of caught factitious disorders seen in the hospital.(2013) Most people with this syndrome usually have a criminal record and psychopathic behavior in their history.
No one really knows for sure what causes this disorder, some think that it is a defense mechanism against certain strong impulses (anger and sexual) (emedicinehealth.com) or a form of self punishment. This syndrome is often only caught and diagnosed because the stories the patient tells doesnt quite fit together or make sense, then doctors tend to look more into their medically history seeing that they make frequent trips to hospitals and to numerous different doctors. Often personality disorders are tied into this disorder. The medical tests will clearly rule out what the patient is saying is wrong, and they are medically health individuals in which case doctors will then question the patients mental state.
Treatment for munchausen syndrome is initially making the fake symptoms better, or any initial injury that started the rest of the medical claims. Treatment for people with the disorder is usually very difficult because they likely will never accept or admit that they have the disorder, it is also an issue that the patient will likely not tell the truth about what they are actually feeling. According to Turner and Reid when treatment is being received the first goal is to reduce the factor of harmful procedures, and therapist need to be sympathetic. (2013) With some care the disorder may get better, but usually it does not completely stop.
Not only will understanding this disorder help patients with the syndrome itself but it will also save the medical personal time in which case they can save a persons life. Munchausen is difficult because the patients usually do not want to say they have it, however a progressive treatment option should be found. Why do you think that it usually is comorbid with personality disorders?
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What an interesting read!
One of the issues with the reality of this disorder is how frequently doctors will misdiagnose this. When things confuse them and go beyond what they are familiar with too many doctors put it down as the 'patients fault' and they are doing something to make themselves sick.
Patients who are undiagnosed are going to be more likely to seek out different doctors, tests etc. so doctors need to be more open to realizing there can be a physical cause and to not put something down as anxiety, hypochondria, or even more insulting when dealing with unpleasant physical symptoms is something like this.
@AffyAvo Looking over my words, I do want to make it clear that I do feel for those who have munchausen syndrome and that's not their fault. There's a big difference though in those with a disorder like this and act on an urge to cause physical symptoms vs. those who have physical symptoms due directly to a disorder. Doctors need to be careful in assessing which is actually the case, as it vastly changes the course of treatment.
I have heard of people who were not able to get medication for something very serious because doctors wrongly accussed them of doing something to purposely cause the symptoms.
