The Origin of the Name ����������� Munchausen Syndrome, a disorder where people fabricate illness in themselves, and Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome were named after an 18th-century German dignitary named Baron von Munchausen. Baron von Munchausen was known for telling �outlandish stories,� (�Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome,� n.d., p. 1). The name was first used in 1951 by Dr. Richard Asher to describe self-induced illness. It is told that Asher came upon the name Baron Hieronymus Karl Friedrich Freiherr von Munchausen in fictional accounts of his stories published in 1785 (Schreier & Libow, 1993, p.6-7). Because of the correlation between Baron von Munchausen�s fictional stories and the exaggerated and made up symptoms of a person with this disorder, the terms Munchausen Syndrome or Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome were adopted as clinical terms describing the two main factitious disorders. Subtypes of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome ����������� Though difficult categorize, Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome manifests in a plethora of different forms. This section will discuss the most commonly recognized subtypes. Factitious Disorder by Proxy can range in frequency or intensity. Chronic Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome is characterized by the constant pursuit of attention through the harming of another individual.� People suffering from this degree of the disorder are compulsive and allow the syndrome to consume most of their lives. The episodic form of the disorder occurs in bouts. There are intervals in which the sufferer experiences symptoms of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome followed by a hiatus where he or she can conduct a normal life. More intense degrees of symptoms can cause the caregiver to put the child in immediate jeopardy of dying. These parents resort to measures such as �suffocation, inducing vomiting, poisoning, or removing the blood from a child.� In less extreme cases, the caregiver may withhold treatment for an already sick child, or simply lie about the child having symptoms that they aren�t truly exhibiting (Schreier & Libow, 1993, p. 9). In extreme cases of this disorder, a mother can induce severe symptoms in her child, but appear cooperative, compassionate, and concerned in the presence of a physician. Schreier and Libow call these sufferers �active inducers.� Milder cases have shown mothers that forge medical histories of their child and lie about the child being sick rather than actually causing sickness by active means. They do this for the emotional gratification they feel from receiving the attention of a doctor. These individuals are defined as �doctor addicts,� (1993, p. 10). Symptoms of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome ����������� Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome is quite possibly one of the most difficult disorders to diagnose. For this reason, an unfortunate nine percent of victims to this abuse die (Feldman, 1998, p. 1). Indicators that a parent may be suffering from Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome include but are not limited to a discrepancy between the child�s medical records and what actually seems logical to have happened, the child exhibiting symptoms that do not respond to treatment as they were expected to, an illness that only appears or becomes more grave in the presence of the parent,� symptoms that disappear in the absence of the perpetrating parent, sickness that resumes once the caretaker is informed that the child is recovering, or similar symptoms found in siblings or family members of the victim (Lasher, 2004, p.1). The induced illness can range anywhere from diabetes to diarrhea. The possibilities are endless, as individuals with this disorder do not conform to feigning any particular illness. Because of the seemingly infinite sicknesses people with Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome have to choose from, it is impossible for doctors to single out Munchausen Syndrome based solely on the ailment of the patient. This makes it particularly important for medical personnel to recognize the behavioral patterns that individuals with Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome display. A single child suffering from many different illnesses in a short span of time is usually an early indicator that something is not right. Unusual responses to treatment are also factors that can indicate a problem (Schreier & Libow, 1993, p. 15). It is common for victims of this syndrome to exhibit genuine symptoms of illness along with the exaggeration and fabrication of other symptoms. This furthers the difficulty in diagnosing Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome because it makes it difficult for physicians to distinguish the real ailments from the ones which were made up. Another sign that is common among parents with Factitious by Proxy Disorder is their �righteous indignation� when confronted by a doctor about their fictitious accounts of the child�s medical history, or of inducing symptoms in their child. Often the parent will threaten to file a malpractice lawsuit, or may even cause the child to become deathly ill to prove to physicians that she was right about the child�s poor health
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 11:53:53 +0000
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