Psyche logo

Munchausen by Proxy

What Munchausen Sufferers Do

By Iria Vasquez-PaezPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
Like

Munchausen by Proxy

Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen by proxy are similar mental health problems. Munchausen syndrome is different from Munchausen by proxy in that Munchausen syndrome features a sufferer acting like they have a physical or mental illness when they do not. They lie about being ill to anybody who will listen, also making up outlandish stories. Munchausen by proxy means that a perpetrator will make a child or dependent adult ill through their caregiving, then they lie about the illness to doctors, also wanting to be the one who gets attention from the doctor. Munchausen by proxy sufferers make somebody else ill, step in and be the hero, and then lie about it to doctors as if the “ill” person has a real illness.

Munchausen by proxy is all about faking illness in a child or “helpless,” dependent adult. People who are victims of Munchausen by proxy imagine they have the illness they are told they have, being coerced into acting as though they have a problem when they do not. Older children are aware of the parent telling lies about what they are dealing with. Children are forced to endure unnecessary medical procedures. The Munchausen condition was named after both a real-life baron who fought in the Russia-Turkish war in 1735-1739, and a fictional baron invented by Rudolf Eric Raspe, in his 1785 book, Barron Munchausen’s Narrative of His Marvelous Travels and Campaigns in Russia. The real-life Munchausen was upset about this and made threats against the author, whose identity was established posthumously, Munchausen syndrome was named after a man who told exaggerated tall tales about his being in the war.

People who hurt their children are able to watch video of themselves doing so but do not necessarily admit to what they did; even with evidence implicating them in front of their face. The best way to deal with the illness is to remove victims from the custody of the perpetrator. As an adult, the only thing adult children can do is stay away from their parent. Munchausen syndrome is also called factitious disorder while Munchausen by proxy means that the perpetrator uses a victim, hence the by proxy tag. The sick person in Munchausen assumes the “sick” role while perpetrators impose the “sick” role on an individual who cannot really stop them. The fact is that caregivers do not treat their children well. They try to impose illness on them and then they lie about it.

People who report Munchausen by proxy often have limited information on Munchausen by proxy. Any report of Munchausen by proxy needs to be taken seriously since the child could be made so ill they are close to death. People with Munchausen by proxy are skilled saboteurs. Some can manipulate older children into messing themselves up. If a child is placed in foster care, they eventually recover from their supposed “illnesses” and do better while in foster care. Therapists are mandated reporters of Munchausen by proxy to the state. They need to report this because a child’s life could be in danger. The cause of Munchausen may be linked to the parent’s childhood where they got attention for being sick or perhaps didn’t get much attention. Maybe there was somebody else sick and they wanted to be in the sick role.

People with Munchausen by proxy act as though they are devoted to their child. They demand sympathy or attention from the people around them. They try too hard to like the medical staff attending to their child all while feeling powerful and in control. The perpetrators truly do not see their behavior as harmful, which is why Munchausen by proxy is so dangerous. If a nurse or doctor is looking into medical records, it can determine whether or not a health problem is real. Munchausen by proxy is all about misleading medical professionals in order for the perpetrator to get attention. It can lead to the death of the victim. Bringing a victim close to death is exciting for perpetrators but they want to be the hero, the one who rescued the victim.

Bibliography

Lasher, J. Louisa, and Mary S. Sheridan. 2004. Munchausen by Proxy: Identification, Intervention, Case Management. New York. Haworth Press.

Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy

Baron Munchausen

disorder
Like

About the Creator

Iria Vasquez-Paez

I have a B.A. in creative writing from San Francisco State. Can people please donate? I'm very low-income. I need to start an escape the Ferengi plan.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.