Munchausen Syndrome

It begins with a story. A convincing, often dramatic account of complaints that compels the doctor to act. The person knows the medical language, knows which symptoms belong together, which investigations must follow. They are hospitalised, operated on, treated — and when the doctors begin to doubt, they change hospitals. The next story is already waiting.

Psychiatry describes Munchausen syndrome as a factitious disorder — the conscious feigning or inducing of illness symptoms in order to assume the patient role. Those affected sometimes inflict considerable physical harm on themselves to appear credible. This is not simulation in the classic sense — there is no external gain such as sick pay or time off work. The gain lies deeper. It is about something so urgently needed that even pain and mutilation seem an acceptable price.