You may have thought about pretending to be sick in your childhood to avoid going to school. But what happens if you make up that you are sick and pretend you have symptoms? This is called Munchausen syndrome.
What is Munchausen syndrome and what causes it?
He Munchausen syndrome It is a disorder in which a person pretends that he or she has some kind of illness or discomfort and presents the relevant symptoms without actually having any health problems. This syndrome is named after the Baron of Munchausen, famous for inventing stories of unreal adventures.
This can be given by different reasons such as having been really sick in your childhood for a long period of time, some special bond with a person related to medicine or it may even be due to a personality disorder.
This disorder is more psychological than physical, since the strong and main component is in the mind of the patient, which He invents a situation, being fully aware that it is not real. and, in addition, shows others his discomfort for her, goes to the emergency room, to the doctor, and his symptoms intensify if you pay attention to him.
What are its symptoms?
The symptoms of Munchausen Syndrome They are psychological, not physical, because the patient does not really experience any discomfort caused by an injury, etc. However, his mind makes him act as if he were in pain.
It must always be taken into account that the psychological and physical go hand in hand and, although in this case the patient does not present physical pain, his mind can make him feel some discomfort. In addition, depending on the symptoms he shows, there are three types of Munchausen syndrome.
Some of the symptoms that a person with this disorder presents are:
- Display of physical discomfort due to a problem that does not exist.
- He continually goes to the doctor to be examined for any type of illness or health problem.
- Tendency to lie continually.
- He is well versed in medical terms and procedures, and has had prior preparation.
- If there is physical pain, it may be caused by medication for certain ailments that you have said you have and for which you have been prescribed medication.
- He usually goes to different hospitals.
Depending on the symptoms one shows, one can be classified into three types:
1. Munchausen syndrome with physical symptoms
The patient will not only express that he has physical symptoms, but may even show them. Here, the person who says he is sick shows that he has severe physical pain, sometimes even self-inflicted or even really experiencing it. In addition, he may even self-medicate when faced with this discomfort, which can cause physical reactions.
2. Munchausen syndrome with psychological symptoms
Among the main symptoms are invention and the tendency to complain about psychological symptoms that they do not suffer from. As they are aware that they do not suffer from any pathology, They will try to deceive and manipulate others.
In more severe cases it can lead to more serious problems, such as hallucinations or memory loss.
3. Munchausen syndrome by proxy
This case is more common than you might think, but this time it is children who suffer from it. That is, children show signs of this syndrome caused by their parents. This can be dangerous for the child and his health.
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What treatment does it have?
Put yourself in the hands of a psychologist Professional counseling is the best option to begin treating this syndrome and to be able to overcome it, although there is no specific therapy for it.
Go to therapy It will help you to work periodically on the process to overcome this syndrome. First of all, be aware of the problem. You have to start from the basis that you are aware of the deception, of the lie that you tell, however, you do not see it as a problem.
With the help of a psychologist you will be able to accept the situation and begin to work on the causes that have caused the symptoms and be able to accept the emotions that may have generated this situation and begin to manage them to find the solution.
The patient must be able to face the reality of his situation and want to change it. There are also extreme cases in which the belief in all this can lead to self-medication by the patient and in this case the best case is hospitalization. This will serve to keep the patient under control and, from this moment on, the patient can be recommended psychological help.
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