A serious mental health condition that usually is difficult to diagnose and treat is called a Factitious disorder. It causes a person to deceive others by appearing sick, by intentionally getting sick, or by self-injury. This condition usually appears when family members or caregivers falsely present other people including children as being ill, impaired, or injured.
The symptoms that cause this condition range from mild (slight exaggeration of symptoms) to severe (in the past called Munchausen syndrome). These people usually make up symptoms or even try temper with medical tests to ensure others that a risky surgery is required.
It is important to understand that this mental disorder is not the same as inventing medical problems for benefits (including getting out of work or winning a lawsuit). While people with factitious disorder know that they are causing the symptoms or conditions, they do not understand why it happens to their behaviors or cannot recognize they have problems.
In any case, medical and psychiatric help is very important to prevent serious injuries and even death that may occur due to a common symptom of this disorder (self-harm).
Symptoms
The primary symptoms of factitious disorder include mimicking or making conditions and injuries, exaggerating existing symptoms, or deceiving other people about your feelings and symptoms. Moreover, such people usually go to great lengths to hide the deception. That’s why it is difficult to determine if they have symptoms of it as a part of the mental health disorder. The worst part is that they continue deceptions even without benefits. Check below some symptoms of factitious disorder:
- Wide knowledge of different health conditions and medical terms
- Inconsistent or vague symptoms
- Diseases that worsen without any reason
- Medical conditions that do not respond to standard therapies
- Consistently seeking treatment from different hospitals and healthcare providers
- Do not allow physicians to talk with family or friends
- People with this disorder often stay in the hospital
- Multiple surgical scars or evidence of many procedures
- When hospitalized they have few visitors
- Arguing with staff and doctors
An Imposed Factious Disorder on Another
Previously, a factitious disorder imposed on another was called Munchausen syndrome. It causes a person to falsely claim that another person has physical or psychological symptoms of diseases, causes injury or disease in another person with a deceiving intention. In other words, those who have this disorder claim that medical attention is required pretending another person is sick, injured, or has functioning problems. In such cases, it involves a parent harming a child, which is a danger of injury or unnecessary medical care.
How do People with Factitious Disorder Fake Illness?
Those who suffer from this mental disorder are professionals at faking symptoms and medical conditions. That’s why it is quite hard for doctors to diagnose and treat the condition and to understand if the symptoms and conditions are real or not. There are different methods on how people with factitious disorders make up symptoms or cause health conditions. For example:
- They intentionally exaggerate the symptoms even if there is an existing condition or psychological disease. Therefore, they may appear sicker or impaired than they are.
- False medical history that they share with loved ones, doctors, and support groups claiming they have cancer or HIV infection.
- Fake symptoms are commonly present in people with this mental disorder. These include fainting, stomach pain, seizures, and others.
- Self-harm is usually present in such people. They perform this by injecting themselves with gasoline, feces, milk, or bacteria. Self-cuts, burns, or injuries also may occur. Another way to self-harm involves administering medications for different serious health conditions including blood clots (anticoagulants) or diabetes medicines that help them mimic the condition.
- They may also manipulate different medical instruments to change the results (such as heating the thermometers).
While people with factitious disorder are aware of the risk of injury and potential death caused by self-harm, they are unable to control their behavior and usually do not seek help. Furthermore, they do not accept help even after objective proof (such as a videotape).
If you suspect that a loved one exaggerates or fakes health problems or symptoms, it is advised to attempt a discussion about your concerns. It is very important to avoid anger, judgment, or confrontation it will help to convince a person to go to a doctor.
However, if a loved person causes self-injury or suicide attempts, go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
Causes
The exact cause of this condition is not known doctors think this mental disorder is a combination of psychological factors and different stressful events.
Risk Factors
While this condition is considered rare, there is no evidence about how many people experience it because they use fake names and visit different healthcare professionals and hospitals, which makes it difficult to determine the exact number. Check below some factors that may elevate your risk of developing factitious disorder:
- Trauma during childhood (including emotional, physical, or sexual abuse)
- Loss of a loved one through death, condition, or abandonment
- Previous life experiences
- Poor sense of identity or self-esteem
- Depression
- Personality disorders
- Serious health conditions during childhood
Complications
Usually, those who suffer from this mental condition are willing to risk their lives in order to be seen as sick. However, in most cases, such people also have other mental health problems. Check below some complications that may occur in people with factitious disorder:
- Unnecessary surgery that removes organs or limbs
- Misuse of alcohol or other substance abuse
- Serious problems in daily routine (including work and relationships)
- Severe health problems are often caused by infections and unnecessary surgery or procedures
- Injury or death from self-harm or self-inflicted diseases
Prevention
Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent this condition because it is not known the exact cause but early diagnosis and treatment may help prevent complications and reduce the symptoms.
Diagnosis
In most cases, diagnosing this condition is very difficult because these people use fake names and visit different hospitals and healthcare professionals, which leads to an inability to understand something about previous medical experiences. Furthermore, they frequently have real and even life-threatening conditions even if these conditions are caused by themselves.
Commonly, physicians suspect this condition when the following cases occur. For example:
- Medical history that does not make sense
- No reasons for a condition or injury
- A health condition that does not follow the course as usual
- Lack of healing for no apparent reason despite appropriate treatment
- Inconsistent or contradictory symptoms or lab test outcomes
- A person is caught lying or causing an injury
Treatment
As a diagnosis, the treatment is quite difficult because there are no standard therapies for factitious disorder. While people with this disorder do not seek treatment because they want to be in the sick role, a gentle and nonjudgmental way may convince them to be treated by a mental health professional.
Nonjudgmental Approach
Commonly, direct accusations of this mental disorder make the affected person become angry and defensive. As a result, it may lead to the end of the relationship with a doctor or hospital and seek treatment in other places.
Other Treatments
The goal of the following treatments is to lower the symptoms and improve your quality of life. For example:
- Talk therapy – This treatment option also is called psychotherapy. Behavioral therapy and psychotherapy are used to control stress and develop overcome skills. It also helps manage other mental health conditions (including depression).
- Medicines – This is usually used along with talk therapy to treat other mental health problems (such as anxiety).
- Hospitalization – This is recommended in severe cases for safety and adequate treatment.
In most cases, treatment for severe factitious disorders is ineffective, the goal is to avoid other invasive or risky treatments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What mental disorders are associated with factitious disorder?
Generally, people with comorbid anxiety, mood, or substance use disorders have a better prognosis. Patients with personality disorders (such as borderline personality disorder) and factitious disorders that occur at the same time, usually have a poor prognosis.
Who is more prone to develop factitious disorder?
People with histories of abuse, trauma, family dysfunction, social isolation, or early chronic medical conditions are more likely to get a factitious disorder. For more details, talk with your healthcare professional.
What are the possible complications of factitious disorder?
Those who experience this mental disorder may also notice some complications, especially without treatment. For example:
- Serious problems in daily life (including relationships, work, and others)
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Loss of different organs or limbs due to unnecessary surgery
- Severe health problems caused often by self-harm
If you have additional questions, ask your healthcare provider.
