Munchausen Syndrome also known as Factitious Disorder is a mental disorder in which a person pretends to be sick to get attention and support from others. The syndrome was named after Baron Munchausen, a German aristocrat. Munchausen was known for telling crazy and unbelievable stories. The original adventures of Munchausen, first published in the late 18th century, may have had some connection to the real-life von Münchausen’s well-known stories.
People with Münchausen Syndrome have symptoms that include pretending to have a psychological or physical illness and trying to create symptoms of an illness in themselves.
A related issue is Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. The word “proxy” means that someone has the authority or power to act for someone else. Munchausen by Proxy is like Münchausen Syndrome but it is imposed on another person rather than themselves. People with Münchausen by Proxy will act as if the person under their care is sick. They can lie about or induce illness in the person under their care. The victim of Munchausen by Proxy is usually a child of a person with a mental illness, but others can be victimized instead. It is a form of abuse in which the person in the caregiver role inflicts illness or injury upon another for attention. It is called medical child abuse because of the potential or actual harm the child faces.
For more information listen to this podcast recording about Gypy’s case:
