When someone has a factitious disorder, they intentionally act as if they have an illness when they do not. They might exaggerate their symptoms, make up symptoms, or even hurt themselves just to bring on symptoms of an illness or injury. This condition is associated with a need to get attention or to seek supportive care that provides attention to the patient.
Many people who suffer from factitious disorders are also suffering from other mental health conditions like personality disorders.
There are some different types of factitious disorders. These conditions can have unique symptoms from one another.
In this version of the condition, the patient will mimic the typical behaviours associated with mental illness. They might make confusing statements, appear lost or to be having hallucinations, or might even pretend to have episodes of psychosis.
This disorder causes patients to pretend to have physical ailments and health problems. This might be professing to have a stomach ache, chest pain, fever, or a virus. This condition is also called Munchausen Syndrome after the German officer who was first identified as having this mental health condition.
Patients with this disorder will pretend to have both mental illness and physical symptoms.
In this condition, patients will pretend that someone in their care has a mental or physical illness.
The general symptoms associated with this disorder are:
The cause of these conditions is still poorly understood. Psychological factors might be responsible in some cases, or perhaps the condition might be a response to a prolonged period of illness in the past. Development disorders might also be linked to the symptoms of this condition. This mental health condition is also often associated with a history of abuse or neglect.
The risk factors for developing this mental health condition are:
Impulse Control & Addiction Disorders
Impulse Control & Addiction Disorder Medications
Personality Disorder Treatment
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Treatment
Diagnosis of this mental health condition can be complex. If the person has reported lots of unique symptoms throughout their course of treatment, all without notable resolution before new symptoms emerge, they might be referred to a mental health professional for diagnosis. Mental health professionals might need to take a full family and personal history and look at the medical history that the patient has accumulated.
There are specific mental health tests that can be applied to a patient to diagnose them with this condition. Mental health care professionals can provide the testing and analyse the results to get a solid diagnosis for these patients.
Prevention of this mental health condition is not usually possible. Many people who suffer from factitious disorders also have other mental health conditions that they are being treated for. The factitious disorder could be caused by the existing mental health challenge, or it could be related to past events that have led to trauma.
Treatment of this kind of mental health condition often involves various modalities of supportive care. Cognitive behavioural therapy and psychotherapy might be recommended. If anxiety is involved in the case, anti-anxiety medications might be prescribed. Serotonin replacement and mood stabilisers are sometimes also given to those who suffer from this mental health condition.
If the person has been diagnosed with factitious disorder by proxy, it is often best for them to be removed from the company of the person that they have been pretending to be ill. Limiting contact with the target of their disorder can help to resolve symptoms.