Factitious disorder

Unlike hypochondria, where sufferers actually believe that they are sick, people with factitious disorder know that they are not sick.

There are two distinct types of factitious disorder:

Factitious disorder imposed on the self, where the disorder is turned inward, or expresses internally, and the person creates the symptoms of disease in himself; and,

Factitious disorder imposed on another, where the disorder is turned outward, or expresses externally, and the person creates the symptoms of disease in someone else, such as a child in his care.

The reasons why people with factitious disorder pretend to be sick are varied, from a need for attention to a need for them to have control over their own bodies. Some might even begin faking illness as a means of punishing a loved one for past neglect, real or perceived; or to have control over someone else by forcing them into the role of caregiver.

People with the external form of this disorder might also have a need for validation, recognition, and respect as a caregiver.

There are those who believe that people fake illness to feed an addiction and get prescriptions for narcotic drugs; while that can happen, it’s not unusual for people with factitious disorder to have lots of prescription drugs on hand, to support their claims of being sick, without ever taking them.

The Symptoms of Factitious Disorder
People with factitious disorder are very adept at hiding their activities and fooling medical professionals.
However, as clever as they are, there are still tell-tale signs that loved ones and healthcare professionals should be aware of, including:

Frequent hospitalizations;

Illnesses that don’t respond as expected to conventional therapies;

Seeking care from multiple doctors and hospitals, sometimes under an assumed name;

Falsifying medical records or making up fake medical histories;

Signs and symptoms inconsistent with test results;

Self-harm or harming another, to create disease symptoms; and,

Frequent requests for medications; not just pain killers and narcotics, but other medications as well.

People with the external form of this disorder have harmed their own children, including injecting dangerous substances into their bodies and even suffocating them.

Often times, even if the person or his target does not start out sick, the lengths they go to could cause serious illness and even death. If the person convinces a doctor to perform surgery, then there are the risks of health problems as a result of the surgery, or the unnecessary removal of organs and body parts.

Munchausen Syndrome is the most sever type of a factitious disorder. People with this disorder either pretend to or intentionally get sick or injured. Suffers of this disorder aren’t in it for financial gain and might subject themselves to expensive of risky medical procedures to prove they are ill. People with this Munchausen Syndrome fake or inflict medical conditions to garner concern, sympathy, and attention.

This syndrome was named after an 18th century German officer named Baron von Munchausen who was known for embellishing stories of his life.