Page 478 - Understanding Psychology

Munchausen’s
Syndrome
swallowed corrosive substances, eroding the lining of their stomachs and throats to produce vomiting.
Period of Study: 1994 Munchausen’s patients are not limited to displaying physical symptoms—they also imitate
Introduction: In 1994 a physician consulted psychiatrist Berney Goodman regarding the con- dition of a patient who seemingly had a rare bowel condition—the patient vom-
ited every time she ate. Together they diagnosed the patient with bowel paralysis. Goodman himself wanted to examine the patient. From the start, the patient refused to cooperate with Goodman. Goodman discovered that the patient had low blood pressure. This, though, did not correspond with the diagnosis of bowel paralysis.
Hypothesis: Goodman
suspected that the patient suffered from Munchausen’s Syndrome. Those who suffer from the ailment have developed great sensitiv- ity to emotional pain and will use any methods possible to avoid feeling it. These methods are quite extreme and often deadly. The sufferers often attempt to hospitalize themselves with self-defined or self-induced symptoms. Their ultimate goal is to have the physician take extra- ordinary measures to save their life.
Method: After further investigation, Goodman discovered that the patient was secretly taking diuretics to produce the symptoms associated with bowel paralysis. His suspicions had been correct. A Munchausen’s patient might complain of a variety of symptoms. A physician, though, has trouble finding these symptoms when examining the patient. Patients have added sugar to samples of urine, suggesting the presence
of diabetes. They have visited dermatolo- gists with rashes, sores, and lesions with no medical explanation but used sandpaper, chemical irritants, or exces- sive heat to make these symptoms appear. Munchausen’s patients have
psychiatric disorders. Overdosing on psychoactive drugs to induce delusions and hallucinations is common for them. Patients may use techniques of
persuasion to try to influence the physician to perform thor- ough medical investigations.
Although Munchausen’s patients can puzzle and deceive physicians, they have a tendency to hide their methods poorly. Syringes are left lying around, they do not conceal pills neatly, and they allow themselves to be observed during their symptom-causing routines. These scenarios result in most diagnoses.
Results: Describing how Munchausen’s Syndrome sufferers behave is much easier than explaining why. Some leads suggest that either all-caring or all-rejecting parental relationships are experienced and then re-created by the patient. They seem to invite their physicians into an all- nurturing relationship, and at other times they despise their physicians and create an all-rejecting relationship.
The difficulty in discovering and diagnosing Munchausen’s Syndrome led to the absence of a clear-cut definition in the DSM-IV. Because of this, it is extremely difficult to treat those who are affected.
Analyzing the Case Study
1. What is Munchausen’s Syndrome?
2. What are some possible causes of Munchausen’s
Syndrome?
3. Critical Thinking Why might a physician or psychologist suspect that someone is suffering from Munchausen’s Syndrome? What is the danger in misdiagnosing this disorder?
464 Chapter 16 / Psychological Disorders