Munchausen syndrome is a psychiatric disorder that originated with a German baron and became popular during the eighteenth century. He tended to be very imaginative. For this reason, he told stories that had no basis in fact, entirely fabricated and invented.
Likewise, he often recounted heroic deeds in which he was the protagonist. This somewhat insane behavior was the result of a specific desire: to always be the center of attention. Therefore, the syndrome we are referring to can be classified as a mental disorder.
Unfortunately, it is not just an illness that affects an individual; it is also a syndrome that leads those who suffer from it to behave abusively toward their children, resulting in illness.
However, it is important to clarify that abuse, understood as such, does not necessarily refer to an adult parent toward their child; it could be the behavior of a caregiver toward the elderly person they care for, or it could involve a person with a disability.
Further reading: Confabulation · Wikipedia
This mental illness manifests itself through specific behaviors enacted by the person suffering from it. For example, parents tend to invent symptoms of their child's illness toward their child. In more serious cases, they engage in specific behaviors that cause real symptoms in the child, making them dependent on their care and thus being able to say that the child is ill and has a specific syndrome.
This behavior is enacted with a specific purpose: to draw attention to themselves, perhaps even sympathy for their child's difficulties and illness. Very often, in these conditions, behaviors that simulate a child's illness are enacted by a mother.
However, it is important to note that the symptoms of the illness may be related to a simulation enacted by the mother, or, in more extreme cases, they are actual behaviors that cause problems for the child.
To date, modern science has not yet been able to determine the specific causes of this syndrome. Some hypotheses have been put forward, so let's see which ones:
It could be the result of a personality disorder;
It could be the result of emotional trauma;
The emotional trauma could be related to an event that occurred during the individual's childhood;
It could be the result of a condition exacerbated by stress related to separation from a spouse;
It could also be a behavior deliberately implemented due to a relationship problem with a partner, who is trying to reconnect with themselves;
It could also be a syndrome that, in the most serious cases, is revealed to be already present in the individual's history. Perhaps a brother or sister; in some cases, it could also be a problem related to a death in the family without having discovered the cause.
A child's illness may be a condition that has no concrete existence. It is therefore an invented condition, and for this reason, they simulate all the symptoms, such as:
The mother may deliberately heat the thermometer to show that her child has a fever.
When questioned by a doctor about the child's symptoms and medical history, she tends to report untrue data and problems, or in the most extreme cases, she may even falsify the child's laboratory tests.
To make everything more truthful, she may even add blood, urine, and stool samples to the tests to be performed.
However, the mental illness of the person seeking sympathy may be very severe, to the point of not inventing symptoms but rather provoking them with deliberate behaviors such as:
The mother may give her child laxatives to trigger diarrhea or even more severe symptoms.
The mother may deliberately reduce the amount of food given to the child to make him lose weight, making him more emaciated and ill-looking.
She may even inject infectious substances into the child's system to cause fever or other symptoms.
Unfortunately, in some cases, the symptoms caused by the affected person on their child can even lead to the child's death. When the doctor questions the mother to better understand the symptoms, he or she will find an inconsistent account.
The symptoms described are often heterogeneous, affecting various organs that have no connection whatsoever. During the examination, the doctor will determine the symptoms and problems that differ from the clinical picture verbally described by the mother.
A person with Munchausen syndrome has specific characteristics, including:
People with this syndrome are highly irrationally oriented. There's always a dramatic tone to their recounting of events;
Their childhood was unhappy and problematic;
They received little attention;
They have a history of psychological problems;
People with this syndrome are very attentive and research medical issues;
If their child needs complex therapies, they maintain a calm and helpful attitude;
This attitude earns them the respect and sympathy of those around them.
Diagnosing this syndrome is very difficult, even for experienced doctors. In fact, the person suffering from it has an incredible knack for inducing symptoms in their child without anyone suspecting anything.
If the doctor begins to suspect that a child may be suffering from this condition, he or she may need to conduct further investigations, ensuring that laboratory samples are carefully safeguarded.
It will be necessary to reconstruct the child's medical history so that, if there is a history of doctors, visits, and therapies, the entire history and contact details can be correctly reconstructed. It will be necessary to verify the symptoms complained of by the child's mother, both in her presence and in her absence, to determine if there are any changes.
Unfortunately, Munchausen syndrome is not easy to diagnose, so if a doctor suspects this condition, it's crucial to report it to social services to try to establish a protective environment for the child. The priority, at least initially, will be to separate the child from the individual causing the symptoms to determine the physical damage caused.
Subsequently, it will be necessary to assess the child's psychological condition to help overcome any anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the abuse.
A psychiatric disorder in which a caregiver simulates or induces illness in another person, frequently a child, to attract attention or sympathy.
Symptoms inconsistent with tests, heterogeneous narratives involving unrelated organs, symptom improvement when the caregiver is absent, repeated visits without a clear diagnosis.
Manipulating thermometers, falsifying reports, adding biological samples, administering substances, or restricting food to cause weight loss.
By reconstructing the full clinical history, protecting lab samples, observing the child with and without the caregiver, and involving social services to ensure the childâs safety.
From severe organic damage up to fatal outcomes, and psychological effects such as anxiety, depression, and postâtraumatic stress.
They are different phenomena. For context, see the FAQ on confabulation.