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Factitious Disorder

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Tanya Grewal
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22 views5 pages

Factitious Disorder

Uploaded by

Tanya Grewal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Factitious disorder

Overview
Factitious disorder is a serious mental disorder in which someone
deceives others by appearing sick, by purposely getting sick or by
self-injury. Factitious disorder also can happen when family
members or caregivers falsely present others, such as children, as
being ill, injured or impaired.

Factitious disorder symptoms can range from mild (slight


exaggeration of symptoms) to severe (previously called
Munchausen syndrome). The person may make up symptoms or
even tamper with medical tests to convince others that treatment,
such as high-risk surgery, is needed.

Factitious disorder is not the same as inventing medical problems


for practical benefit, such as getting out of work or winning a
lawsuit. Although people with factitious disorder know they are
causing their symptoms or illnesses, they may not understand the
reasons for their behaviors or recognize themselves as having a
problem.

Factitious disorder is challenging to identify and hard to treat.


However, medical and psychiatric help are critical for preventing
serious injury and even death caused by the self-harm typical of this
disorder.

Symptoms
Factitious disorder symptoms involve mimicking or producing
illness or injury or exaggerating symptoms or impairment to deceive
others. People with the disorder go to great lengths to hide their
deception, so it may be difficult to realize that their symptoms are
actually part of a serious mental health disorder. 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.

Factitious disorder signs and symptoms may include:

Clever and convincing medical or psychological problems

 Extensive knowledge of medical terms and diseases


 Vague or inconsistent symptoms
 Conditions that get worse for no apparent reason
 Conditions that don't respond as expected to standard
therapies
 Seeking treatment from many different doctors or hospitals,
which may include using a fake name
 Reluctance to allow doctors to talk to family or friends or to
other health care professionals
 Frequent stays in the hospital
 Eagerness to have frequent testing or risky operations
 Many surgical scars or evidence of numerous procedures
 Having few visitors when hospitalized
 Arguing with doctors and staff

Factious disorder imposed on another


Factitious disorder imposed on another (previously called
Munchausen syndrome by proxy) is when someone falsely claims
that another person has physical or psychological signs or
symptoms of illness, or causes injury or disease in another person
with the intention of deceiving others.

People with this disorder present another person as sick, injured or


having problems functioning, claiming that medical attention is
needed. Usually this involves a parent harming a child. This form of
abuse can put a child in serious danger of injury or unnecessary
medical care.

How those with factitious disorder fake illness


Because people with factitious disorder become experts at faking
symptoms and diseases or inflicting real injuries upon themselves,
it may be hard for health care professionals and loved ones to know
if illnesses are real or not.

People with factitious disorder make up symptoms or cause


illnesses in several ways, such as:

 Exaggerating existing symptoms. Even when an actual


medical or psychological condition exists, they may
exaggerate symptoms to appear sicker or more impaired
than is true.
 Making up histories. They may give loved ones, health care
professionals or support groups a false medical history,
such as claiming to have had cancer or AIDS. Or they may
falsify medical records to indicate an illness.
 Faking symptoms. They may fake symptoms, such as
stomach pain, seizures or passing out.
 Causing self-harm. They may make themselves sick, for
example, by injecting themselves with bacteria, milk,
gasoline or feces. They may injure, cut or burn themselves.
They may take medications, such as blood thinners or drugs
for diabetes, to mimic diseases. They may also interfere
with wound healing, such as reopening or infecting cuts.
 Tampering. They may manipulate medical instruments to
skew results, such as heating up thermometers. Or they
may tamper with lab tests, such as contaminating their
urine samples with blood or other substances.

When to see a doctor


People with factitious disorder may be well aware of the risk of
injury or even death as a result of self-harm or the treatment they
seek, but they can't control their behaviors and they're unlikely to
seek help. Even when confronted with objective proof — such as a
videotape — that they're causing their illness, they often deny it and
refuse psychiatric help.

If you think a loved one may be exaggerating or faking health


problems, it may help to attempt a gentle conversation about your
concerns. Try to avoid anger, judgment or confrontation. Also try to
reinforce and encourage more healthy, productive activities rather
than focusing on dysfunctional beliefs and behaviors. Offer support
and caring and, if possible, help in finding treatment.

If your loved one causes self-inflicted injury or attempts suicide, call


911 or emergency medical help or, if you can safely do so, take him
or her to an emergency room immediately.

Causes
The cause of factitious disorder is unknown. However, the disorder
may be caused by a combination of psychological factors and
stressful life experiences.

Risk factors
Several factors may increase the risk of developing factitious
disorder, including:

 Childhood trauma, such as emotional, physical or sexual


abuse
 A serious illness during childhood
 Loss of a loved one through death, illness or abandonment
 Past experiences during a time of sickness and the
attention it brought
 A poor sense of identity or self-esteem
 Personality disorders
 Depression
 Desire to be associated with doctors or medical centers
 Work in the health care field
Factitious disorder is considered rare, but it's not known how many
people have the disorder. Some people use fake names to avoid
detection, some visit many different hospitals and doctors, and
some are never identified — all of which make it difficult to get a
reliable estimate.

Complications
People with factitious disorder are willing to risk their lives to be
seen as sick. They frequently have other mental health disorders as
well. As a result, they face many possible complications, including:

 Injury or death from self-inflicted medical conditions


 Severe health problems from infections or unnecessary
surgery or other procedures
 Loss of organs or limbs from unnecessary surgery
 Alcohol or other substance abuse
 Significant problems in daily life, relationships and work
 Abuse when the behavior is inflicted on another

Prevention
Because the cause of factitious disorder is unknown, there's
currently no known way to prevent it. Early recognition and
treatment of factitious disorder may help avoid unnecessary and
potentially dangerous tests and treatment.

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