Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

[Diuretic]

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy


Do you know anyone that has these traits?

I don't.

Not to change the subject...but my son keeps getting really really sick after my wife gives him Blue Gatorade.

As the same time, my windshield washer fluid keeps disappearing.

When you get cheesed off with doctoring you should teach. That was excellent.

 

[random3434]

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy


Do you know anyone that has these traits?

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSP), a type of factitious disorder, is a mental illness in which a person acts as if an individual he or she is caring for has a physical or mental illness when the person is not really sick. People with MSP assume the role of a sick person indirectly by producing or lying about illness in another person under their care, usually a child under 6 years of age. However, cases have been reported of adult victims of MSP. (The term "by proxy" means "through a substitute.")

People with MSP have an inner need for the other person (often his or her child) to be seen as ill or injured. It is not done to achieve a concrete benefit, such as financial gain. People with MSP are even willing to have the child or other patient undergo painful or risky tests and operations in order to get the sympathy and special attention given to people who are truly ill and their families. Factitious disorders are considered mental illnesses because they are associated with severe emotional difficulties

.

There was a girl who was on trial for causing the death of one of her children by creating illnesses in them which were severe enough to put them into the hospital many times and finally one of them died.

It was years ago and I saw her in a bar while she was on trial, it seemed she was just as happy as she could be but a couple of days after that, she ended up committing suicide.

There are people on internet message boards who have the same syndrome they take advantage of the kindness of strangers.

Münchausen by Internet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Interesting. I'd never heard of that before Sarah! Thanks for the link. Here's some info from it:

Stalking, victimization, harassment, sexual abuse, and physical ailments are common complaints of those who demonstrate factitious disorders, although several clues exist that indicate factors beyond genuine problems. After studying 21 cases of deception, Feldman listed the following common patterns of people who exhibited Münchausen by Internet:

Medical literature from websites or textbooks is often duplicated or discussed in great detail.
The length and severity of purported physical ailments conflicts with user behavior. Feldman uses the example of someone posting in considerable detail about being in septic shock, when such a possibility is extremely unlikely.
Symptoms of ailments may be exaggerated as they correspond to a user's misunderstanding of the nature of an illness.
Grave situations and increasingly critical prognoses are interspersed with "miraculous" recoveries.
A user's posts eventually reveal contradictory information or claims that are implausible: for example, other users of a forum may find that a user has been divulging contradictory information about occurrence or length of hospital visits.
When attention and sympathy decreases to focus on other members of the group, a user may announce that other dire events have transpired, including illness or death striking a close family member.
When faced with insufficient expressions of attention or sympathy, a forum member claims this as a cause that symptoms worsen or do not improve.
A user resists contact beyond the internet, by telephone or personal visit, often by claiming bizarre reasons for not being able to accept such contact.
Further emergencies are described with inappropriate happiness, designed to garner immediate reactions.
Other forum members post on behalf of a user that exhibit identical writing styles, spelling errors, and language idiosyncrasies, suggesting that the user has created fictitious identities to move the conversation in their direction.

 

[Sarah G]

Echo,

Yes, at the site I used to post on, there was a forum called overcoming obstacles. Of course some of them were real obstacles but some of the more elaborate ones and those who always had some drama going on, I mean always, one right after the other, I questioned.

These posters had another person posting updates about the illnesses, kids, family, car, bills, house, etc...

It gets hysterical after awhile. God forbid anything is really happening to the kids or any family member. It can drive you crazy thinking about it.

 

[random3434]

Echo,

Yes, at the site I used to post on, there was a forum called overcoming obstacles. Of course some of them were real obstacles but some of the more elaborate ones and those who always had some drama going on, I mean always, one right after the other, I questioned.

These posters had another person posting updates about the illnesses, kids, family, car, bills, house, etc...

It gets hysterical after awhile. God forbid anything is really happening to the kids or any family member. It can drive you crazy thinking about it.

I bet!


The internet is a scam artists dream come true......................

 

[kimberlyah]

Honey, as a 33 year old VICTIM I promise that this is real. My mother told me I had two hearts. I was going to die. I couldn't do things that the other kids were doing because of it. I was going to have open heart surgery. She told EVERYONE I knew these horrible lies. I didn't know any better and I believed every word of it.

 

[boedicca]

Yes. One of my childhood friends was treated this way by her mother. What a messed up family.

 

[Sarah G]

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy


Do you know anyone that has these traits?

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSP), a type of factitious disorder, is a mental illness in which a person acts as if an individual he or she is caring for has a physical or mental illness when the person is not really sick. People with MSP assume the role of a sick person indirectly by producing or lying about illness in another person under their care, usually a child under 6 years of age. However, cases have been reported of adult victims of MSP. (The term "by proxy" means "through a substitute.")

People with MSP have an inner need for the other person (often his or her child) to be seen as ill or injured. It is not done to achieve a concrete benefit, such as financial gain. People with MSP are even willing to have the child or other patient undergo painful or risky tests and operations in order to get the sympathy and special attention given to people who are truly ill and their families. Factitious disorders are considered mental illnesses because they are associated with severe emotional difficulties

.

There was a woman who was afflicted with this in my hometown some years ago, she ended up killing one of her children. I saw her out when she was either on trial or just before.

She ended up killing herself before the trial was over. Too bad she didn't do it before she hurt her children. She had several as I recall.

 

[AllieBaba]

I can't think of actually seeing it in a diagnosed case. I've read about it, it's a real syndrome, a real craziness.

I see a form of this in my work, since I work with child welfare so closely. Clients who will bring child welfare into their lives intentionally, for the attention (and support, I'm sure). It's sick and twisted.

We have a grandma who imagines crisises everywhere and that gives her the excuse to maintain close contact with mental health, child welfare, the foster system. We actually have discussed it because she is constantly calling various people to say this crisis or that crisis is taking place, and drawing everyone in all the time. I saw her at the family services center the other day...she said she was there because this guy that her grandson knows (and who may have abused the kid) is dying now. So she's being pro-active and getting him counseling NOW.

Yuck!

 

[Ernie S.]

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy


Do you know anyone that has these traits?

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSP), a type of factitious disorder, is a mental illness in which a person acts as if an individual he or she is caring for has a physical or mental illness when the person is not really sick. People with MSP assume the role of a sick person indirectly by producing or lying about illness in another person under their care, usually a child under 6 years of age. However, cases have been reported of adult victims of MSP. (The term "by proxy" means "through a substitute.")

People with MSP have an inner need for the other person (often his or her child) to be seen as ill or injured. It is not done to achieve a concrete benefit, such as financial gain. People with MSP are even willing to have the child or other patient undergo painful or risky tests and operations in order to get the sympathy and special attention given to people who are truly ill and their families. Factitious disorders are considered mental illnesses because they are associated with severe emotional difficulties

.

No, but I know a few libs that still support obama. I think it's a form of Stockholm Syndrome.

Stockholm syndrome is a term used to describe a paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express adulation and have positive feelings towards their captors. These feelings are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims, who essentially mistake a lack of abuse from their captors as an act of kindness.

 

[waltky]

Is there a form of Munchausen where the abuse inflicted is emotional or psychological instead of physical?...

... for example, a parent who 'claims' to care for a child but instead does everything to torment the child in ways emotional or psychological?

 

[Sarah G]

Is there a form of Munchausen where the abuse inflicted is emotional or psychological instead of physical?...

... for example, a parent who 'claims' to care for a child but instead does everything to torment the child in ways emotional or psychological?

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy is shadier than that. They do subtle things to make their kids sick enough to go to the hospital so they're the center of attention.

Your example seems like real mental abuse and more obvious.

 

[Grace]

Yes, I know someone with it, but it is not by proxy. She hurts herself to get attention. When she lived with me for about a year, I had to call every hospital within a 50 mile radius and warn them because she would demand surgery for whatever ailment she thought she had. And most would do it because her insurance never asked questions and paid immediately. The woman is nothing but scars on her body now.
She also had a complete dental treatment where they pulled all her teeth, then rebuilt her jaw, got her a new set of extremely white clackers screwed in to the bone but the day she was out of the hospital with her new upper set, she immediately pried them loose so she could go back to the hospital until the dentist could see her again to redo it all over again.
I had no clue she had munchausen until I finally tracked her shrink down and told her "if you dont tell me what the hell is going on with ######, she is going to die. Literally. So spill it". And she told me ###### was an exceptionally disturbed gal...major depression, coupled with munchausen. I had no clue what that was until I looked it up. Then it all fit in to place why every month Id get a call that she was in the hospital and needed me to come help her while she mended. When she lived with me, I saw it all up close and personal. Not pretty. And it showed me that most hospitals dont give a damn. She wanted an operation, they gave her one. She wanted to stay in the hospital bed to be waited on, coo'd over, served meals and attention given her by family and friends. Only problem was...no family and friends were left. Except me.
She eventually married some guy and moved to Nevada. We talk now and then, but we arent as close as we used to be. She also was an addict and attended NA and AA meetings every day. Her husband is a drinker. She lost her sobriety as well. So now shes a drunk, addicted to pain pills, has munchausen and suffers depression.
Glad shes there and Im here. But I miss the old friend I used to have before she went completely fruitloopy.

 

[waltky]

Sarah wrote: ... so they're the center of attention.

Instead of the child...

... The parent is able to manipulate the situation so that the child is portrayed as being in the wrong if he/she complains about the abuse or being taken advantage of.


Imeuru wrote: Yes, I know someone with it, but it is not by proxy. She hurts herself to get attention. When she lived with me for about a year, I had to call every hospital within a 50 mile radius and warn them because she would demand surgery for whatever ailment she thought she had. And most would do it because her insurance never asked questions and paid immediately. The woman is nothing but scars on her body now.
She also had a complete dental treatment where they pulled all her teeth, then rebuilt her jaw, got her a new set of extremely white clackers screwed in to the bone but the day she was out of the hospital with her new upper set, she immediately pried them loose so she could go back to the hospital until the dentist could see her again to redo it all over again.

I think you are referring to a different disorder, though the term escapes me at the moment.

In Munchausen's the pain is inflicted on another, usually a child rather than oneself.

The movie 'Secretary' with James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhall covers the condition you are describing.

 

[Grace]

Personally..I think she had it by proxy too because she had a child, special needs. He was taken away and went to a foster home. They adopted him and he is doing very well. But for the first 2 years she had him..he was a mess. Makes me wonder if he was assisted in being a mess.
Then when he was removed...she had to do to someone and he wasnt around anymore...so she began on herself.

 

[editec]

Yes, I know who has this trait.

The neo-conservative movement.