Imagine spending five years in and out of doctors' surgeries and hospitals because your mom is convinced you have various disorders and diseases. Constantly on medication, or having tests run, with little chance for a normal life.
That's the reality for one 15-year-old who has been diagnosed with several health conditions since she was 10. All because her mother lied to doctors about her symptoms. The teen recently anonymously reached out to medical professionals online, begging for help.
Concerned doctors advised her she might be dealing with something more serious than she realizes. Many urged her to tell someone. And that's exactly what she did...
A teen has spent the past 5 years being treated for a range of conditions, all because her mother lied to doctors
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
After anonymously pleading for help online, her life has now taken a drastic turn
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: gstockstudio / freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Public-Kangaroo-6867
Online doctors had questions and the teen provided some more info
The teenager revealed that she'd snuck a note to a nurse "outing" her Münchhausen mom
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Public-Kangaroo-6867
Munchausen syndrome: Oh yes, I'm the great pretender!
Many of the doctors mentioned Munchausen syndrome when responding to the teen. If you’re not familiar with the term, it is a psychological condition where someone pretends to be ill or deliberately produces symptoms of illness in themselves.
They aren’t faking it to get any practical benefits, like a government subsidy, but rather to entice people to care for them so that they become the center of attention.
The syndrome can manifest in various ways. The person might pretend to have psychological symptoms, like hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t there. Or they might fake physical symptoms like chest pain, headaches, nausea or stomach aches.
The person could even take it a step further and actively make themselves sick, or try to do so. Perhaps they eat something that they know will have an adverse reaction, or they deliberately infect a small cut or wound.
Some of those with Munchausen syndrome will go to great lengths to keep up appearances. They'll be in and out of different hospitals, faking illnesses and seeking treatment (read: attention). If they're accused of lying, they might go to another hospital, or even area, to get a "second opinion." Or make up a new illness.
It goes without saying that those with the syndrome can be extremely manipulative.
In the case of the teen, many doctors believed her mom has Munchausen syndrome. This would mean the the 15-year-old possibly has Munchausen syndrome by proxy. This is when the syndrome is imposed on her by someone else, in this situation, her mom.
So what causes Munchausen syndrome? Experts believe it could be the result of various things. Perhaps the person had emotional trauma or illness during childhood, and they were might have been in and out of hospital when they were young.
Others could have a personality disorder that leads to abnormal thinking and behaviour. There are those who act out because they hold a grudge against authority figures or healthcare professionals.
And finally, some of those with Munchausen may have been neglected and/or abandoned by a parent, or suffered other childhood trauma.
People praised the teen for the way she'd handled the situation
