What Is Munchausen Syndrome (Factitious Disorder Imposed on Self)?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Munchausen Syndrome?SymptomsDiagnosisCausesTypesTreatment

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Munchausen Syndrome?

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Causes

Types

Treatment

Close

Munchausen syndrome is a mental disorder in which a person routinely acts as if they have a true physical or mental health issue even though they are really not sick. A person with this condition will deliberately create, complain of, or exaggerate symptoms of an illness that does not really exist.

The disorder has since been renamed and is now classified in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)as “factitious disorder imposed on self.”

People with factitious disorder imposed on self (FDIS) will deliberately cause, misrepresent, and/or exaggerate their symptoms (physical or psychological).They may suddenly leave a hospital and move to another area when it is discovered that they are not being truthful.

People with Munchausen syndrome can be extremely manipulative since the main symptom of this disorder requires deception and dishonesty.

The following are some examples of behavior you may see in somebody with FDIS:

Warning Signs

Additional warning signs can include:

Diagnosing FDIS can be very hard because of all of the dishonesty associated with the disorder. Doctors must first rule out any possible physical and mental illnesses before considering a diagnosis of FDIS.

Additionally, in order to be diagnosed with Munchausen syndrome/factitious disorder imposed on self, the following four criteria must be met:

Difference Between Provisional and Differential Diagnoses

Childhood Abuse or Neglect

One theory of what causes this mental disorder is a history of abuse, neglect, or abandonment as a child. A person may have unresolved parental issues because of this trauma. These issues may, in turn, cause the individual to fake being sick.

People may do this because they:

Effects of Childhood Trauma

Childhood Illness and Hospitalization

Personality Disorders

There may also be a link between personality and factitious disorder imposed on self. This is becausepersonality disordersare common in people with Munchausen syndrome. This disorder may stem from the person’s inner need to be seen as sick or disabled. It could also be due to the person having an insecure sense oftheir own identity.

Although people with Munchausen syndrome/FDIS may actively obtain treatment for the numerous disorders they create, they typically do not want to admit to and seek treatment for the actual syndrome.

People affected with factitious disorder imposed on self deny they are faking or causing their own symptoms, soobtaining treatmenttends to be dependent on somebody else suspecting that the person has this disorder, persuading the individual to receive treatment, and encouraging the person to stick totreatment goals.

Psychotherapy

The main treatment goal for Munchausen syndrome is to change the person’s behavior and lessen the misuse/overuse of medical resources. Treatment usually consists ofpsychotherapy(mental health counseling).

During treatment sessions, the therapist may try to challenge and assist in changing the thinking and behavior of the person (this is known ascognitive behavioral therapy). Therapy sessions may also try to uncover and address any underlying psychological issues that may be causing the person’s behavior.

During treatment, it is more realistic to have the person work toward managing the syndrome as opposed to trying to cure it. A therapist may try to encourage the person to avoid dangerous medical procedures as well as unnecessary hospital admissions.

In addition to individual therapy, treatment may also include family therapy. Teaching family members how to properly respond to a person diagnosed with Munchausen syndrome/FDIS can be helpful.

The therapist can teach family members not to reward or reinforce the behavior of the person with the disorder. This may lower the person’s need to appear sick since they may no longer be receiving the attention they are seeking.

Medication

Medication is typically not used in the treatment of FDIS. If the person is also experiencinganxietyordepression, however, a doctor may prescribe medication, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs),benzodiazepines, andtricyclic antidepressants(TCAs).

If this is the case, it is important that the person is closely monitored because of the higher likelihood of using these medications to purposely hurt themselves.

A Word From Verywell

If someone you love is living with FDIS, it’s important to seek help. Munchausen syndrome is associated with severe emotional difficulties, including an increased risk forsubstance useandsuicideattempts.

People with FDIS are also at risk for health problems or death because of their purposeful actions of trying to hurt themselves. They can suffer additional harm from complications associated with multiple tests, procedures, and treatments.

If you or a loved one are struggling with Munchausen syndrome or self-harm, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with Munchausen syndrome or self-harm, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Caselli I, Poloni N, Ielmini M, Diurni M, Callegari C.Epidemiology and evolution of the diagnostic classification of factitious disorders inDSM-5.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2017;10:387–394. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S153377

Cleveland Clinic.An Overview of Factitious Disorders.

Yates GP, Feldman MD.Factitious disorder: a systematic review of 455 cases in the professional literature.Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2016;41:20-28. doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2016.05.002

Burnel A.Recognition and management of factitious disorder.Presscriber. 2015;26(21):37-39. doi:10.1002/psb.1411

Mousailidis G, Lazzari C, Bhan‐Kotwal S, Papanna B, Shoka A.Factitious disorder: A case report and literature review of treatment.Prog Neurol Psychiatry. 2019;23(2): 14-18. doi:10.1002/pnp.533

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.5th ed. Washington D.C.: 2013. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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