Factitious Disorder

Factitious Disorder

*Mental health disorder where a person pretends to be sick by self-injuring themselves or purposely becomes sick to receive the attention of others*Hard to detect - people are experts at faking conditions*Two cases: Mild (symptoms slightly exaggerated) Severe (Munchausen synd.)*While these people know they are creating their symptoms, they are not always sure why

*Dramatic but inconsistent medical history*Unclear symptoms that are not controllable and that become more severe or change once treatment has begun*Predictable relapses following improvement in the condition*Extensive knowledge of hospitals and/or medical terminology, as well as the textbook descriptions of illness*Presence of many surgical scars*Appearance of new or additional symptoms following negative test results

*When agreeing to seek help, can meet with a mental health provider ~Treatment focuses on managing the problem, not trying to cure it. ~Includes: Talk therapy Behavioral therapy Family Therapy Medication (possibly)

Treatment

Symptoms

Claudius Galen*Second century Roman physician *Said to have discovered Factitious disorder