Munchausen’s Syndrome

What is it?

What is Munchausen’s Syndrome?

• Psychologic disorder where one invents or fakes illness

• Used to draw attention to people

• Can be self-induced or tricking others into believing they are sick

History of Munchausen

• Based on a book of fantasy stories, Main character was Baron Munchausen

• Written by German author Rudolf Raspe in 1765

• Turned into an American movie in 1988

• Doctors used it to describe fantasy medical conditions

• 1951 Dr. Richard Asher 1st described someone faking self-harm to get medicine

• Today it describes all fake illness

Why do people have it?

• Fabricated to get attention

• Faked receive medical care or medication

• Parents make up illnesses for kids

• In all cases - victims are crazy

Ways to Cure Munchausen’s

• Give people faking conditions “sugar” pills or placebo

• Fake medicine and see if illness stops

• Then confront patient about his or her false condition

People Who Might Have Munchausen’s

• Eminem’s “Cleaning Out My Closet"

• Soccer Players who fake injuries

• Worried Mother’s w/ manic depression

• Drug Addicts

More Celebrity Munchausen’s

• Grey’s Anatomy• House, M.D.• ER• Nip/Tuck• Law & Order: SVU• Seinfeld - Scofflaw (Jon

Lovitz fakes cancer)• All featured episodes

for Munchausen’s

Bibliography & Works Cited

• Ivillage website. Munchausen’s Syndrome By Proxy 2/11/07. http://health.ivillage.com/mentalhealth

• Wikipedia website. Munchausen’s Syndrome. 2/11/07. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munchausen_syndrome

• Asher, Richard. Munchausen’s Syndrome. Boiling Books Publishing, London, England. 1957.

• Baron, Leslie. A case of Munchausen Syndrome? Biomedical Monthly January, 1996. P. 32 - 36.

• ANY QUESTIONS?