Munchausen Syndrome

Munchausen syndrome is a factitious disorder, ie, individuals pretend to himself or cause disease or traumaspsicológicos to draw attention or sympathy to them. The symptoms can be induced by abuse of drugs / drugs or just pretenders.

Münchausen syndrome patients have few social contacts with significant others who are not health professionals. Tend to mobilize the staff of the hospital where they are admitted and require a large number of tests to exclude other diagnoses.

Signs and Symptoms

Munchausen syndrome is a psychiatric disorder wherein the patient so compulsive disorder, deliberate and persistent, cause, or causes simulates symptoms of disease, without an obvious advantage to such an attitude other than that of obtaining medical and nursing .

In Münchausen syndrome, the affected person exaggerates or creates symptoms in herself to get attention, treatment and sympathy. In some extreme cases, people with this syndrome studies the background to be able to produce any disease symptoms more accurately. For example, one can inject in the vein infected material, causing infection and prolonging their stay in hospital. It's different from hypochondriasis, patients with Münchausen know you're exaggerating, as the hypochondriac really believe is sick.

Some of the possible symptoms of Munchausen syndrome are:

• Symptoms fit perfectly in the classic description of the disease reported, but the response to treatments is unstable and inefficient;

• Longing to undergo various tests and procedures;

• Medical history and personal incoherent;

• Consult different doctors and different hospitals, sometimes in several areas;

• Deep knowledge of the disease and hospital procedures;

• Refusal to let the doctors talk with family or friends.

• psychological disorders, especially those related to lack of affection, theatricality and insecurity.

Treatment

Medical and psychotherapeutic treatment should focus on psychiatric disorder that triggered the syndrome: are mood disorders, anxiety disorders or borderline personality disorder. The prognosis depends on the patient's psychological disorder: depression and anxiety, for example, often respond well to antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy, while personality disorders take years for treatment and medication boils down to lessen some symptoms.