The fun adventures of Baron Munchausen not only entertained listeners, for some they became a way of existence. Such homegrown "munchhausen" were so involved in this role that they even began to mislead the doctors, appearing extremely ill, requiring not only treatment, but also care, increased attention and concern.
Munchhausen's syndrome - what is it?
It is unlikely that an uninitiated person knows what Munchhausen's syndrome is. But he is well acquainted with doctors-psychiatrists. People in this state, the origin of which has not yet been fully studied, actively and very plausibly depict (simulate) the disease. Moreover, they are able to simulate fainting, seizures, and vomiting, and due to the fact that such a state is "contrived" and is induced by artificial means, in psychiatry it was called Munchhausen's syndrome. Presumably, it can be the result of problems, the roots of which are rooted in childhood. It can be:
- mental trauma , suffered in childhood, including sexual abuse;
- lack of parental attention and love;
- suffering of a seriously ill relative;
- loss of a loved one;
- low self-esteem;
- a number of mental disorders that accompany Munchausen's syndrome, including those caused by work in the health care system or, conversely, an unrealized dream to become a medic.
Munchhausen syndrome - symptoms of adults
Simulation of diseases in adults, according to experts in the field of psychiatry, originates in childhood, and if the history of children's simulations is understandable and, at times, even amusing, Munchausen's syndrome, the symptoms of which appear in mature people, indicate serious problems of the psyche of the imaginary patient. At the same time they are imitated very skillfully and are capable of deceiving the medical worker.
Such psevdobolnogo can be identified: heart attack, diarrhea, various fevers with "blurred" symptoms. There are also more serious cases of diseases or medical problems that the Munchausen themselves organize, distracting doctors from real patients and making it difficult to make a true diagnosis. Among them are those who are able to deliberately injure themselves and even engage in self-mutilation.
How to treat Munchausen's syndrome?
Experts argue that patients who have Munchhausen syndrome, the treatment offered by a doctor, as a rule, reject. They demand to themselves increased attention, try to dictate to the doctor their conditions of therapy and, if he does not agree, pass to another doctor, rejecting, including, and psychiatric help. If they do not receive the desired care and treatment as they represent it, people with this diagnosis become extremely aggressive, suspicious and intractable. Their treatment rarely brings positive results.
Munchausen's syndrome and hypochondria
Imaginary patients are sometimes confused with hypochondriacs, although there is a difference between them. If hypochondria, as a rule, is the result of severe illnesses suffered in childhood, which in the adult age cause constant fear and anxiety for their health, Munchausen's syndrome is treated differently. Such people know perfectly well that they are not ill, but they try to convince others in the presence of their ailments, even by deliberately damaging their health.
Their contribution to the emergence of the disease is often made, ostensibly, by compassionate parents who form the so-called delegated Munchausen syndrome, consciously forcing the child to feign the disease in order to attract the increased attention of doctors. Such constant false care for a child's health can lead to the development of depressive states , a sense of inferiority, from the point of view of physical development, abandonment of games with peers and other serious consequences.
Movies about Munchausen's syndrome
This amazing state of a completely healthy "patient" is of interest not only to psychiatrists, but also to filmmakers. It is no coincidence that Munchausen's syndrome has found its place in the cinema. Among the films in which you can meet the characters who are its owners:
- Famous series "Doctor House" , in the 9th episode of which viewers see how to treat a patient with this syndrome.
- TV series "Most" (Sweden-Denmark ), where in the second episode appears a character with this disease.
- The series "Anatomy of Passion" (4 series).
- The TV series "The Real Detective" is a character with a delegated kind of syndrome.
- The film "One Missed Call" (Japan) , where the mother of the main character suffers from this ailment.