Monday MH Fact 12/4- Factitious Disorder
In honor of a former co-worker, I'd like to highlight a mental health condition few people know about: Factitious Disorder
Factitious Disorder (previously known as Munchausen syndrome) is when someone makes themselves appear sick or self-injures to appear sick. It's not unusual for individuals living with factitious disorder to fake medical tests and results and go to other extreme measures to make it appear that they are ill. People with this mental health condition are often highly intelligent, skilled at manipulation and have a high level of knowledge about the medical system.
It's interesting to note that " They continue with the deception, even without receiving any visible benefit or reward or when faced with objective evidence that doesn't support their claims." This is different that what the DSM categorizes as 'malingering' which is when an individual fakes an injury for a clear purpose such as legal or monetary benefits.
Factitious disorder can also be imposed on others (what used to be known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy). Often this is when a caregiver makes the person in their care sicker or more impaired. As with individual Factitious Disorder, caregivers have no obvious incentives or motives for keeping their patient (usually family member) sick.
Spoiler Alert: While not 100% accurate or confirmed, an example of Factitious disorder imposed on others in pop culture is in the book or movie Everything, Everything.
@Kate
I've heard of this before....and sadly I think it can contribute to the stigma of other conditions which are invisible illnesses. 
@CoinFountain Or visible ones without explanation. I've heard of doctors accusing patients of doing something to themselves to cause angioedema attacks. I suppose our bodies are doing something to ourselves - but without our consent!
@AffyAvo
That too.
@Kate Great post Kate there was a famous case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy (Beverley Allit) and there was little known about the condition then and it caused panic amongst the medical profession where all nurses, even doctors that were discovered to have an substance issue or had a history of self harm were suddenly treated differently as a result of this one high profile case. I even knew of someone who was top of their nursing course but who because they had a history of self harm was forced to take voluntary redundancy. I hope nowadays things are a lot better and people less influenced by one case whereby they label others and feel they are potential killers as was the case with Beverley Allitt. a former nurse.