munchausen’s syndrome
DESCRIPTION
Munchausen’s Syndrome. What is it?. 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. What is Munchausen’s Syndrome?. History of Munchausen. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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?