MUNCHAUSEN SYNDROME by Powers: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Child abuse can take many forms. Among physical abuse, there are some cases where we find mothers who force the child to take medicines not prescription, mix toxic substances in their food, or undergo surgery based on clinical reports false. Anything to go to the doctor and be taken care of. In these cases, the caregiver suffers from what is called Munchausen syndrome by proxy and can be fatal for their victims. In this article from Psychology-Online: Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: Symptoms, Causes and TreatmentWe will talk about this strange psychological disorder, how to recognize it and how it can be intervened.

Index

1. Munchausen syndrome by proxy: symptoms
2. Munchausen syndrome by proxy: causes
3. Munchausen syndrome by proxy: treatment
4. Munchausen syndrome: movie
5. Munchausen syndrome: famous cases

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (or SMP) is a Psychological trastorn and a form of child abuse. It is characterized by

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a derivation of Munchausen syndrome in adults. In the latter it is the same person who causes or invents diseases in order to receive care and attention by the health services.

It is in itself difficult to detect, since in medical consultations the patient is usually the child, and not her caretaker. In addition, it can be more complicated if the caregiver visits different medical centers, since health professionals cannot follow up and the cases would be isolated. But you can become suspicious of its presence if the following signs appear in the consultation:

• A high number of visits to the doctor.
• The symptoms do not seem to match any specific disease.
• Physical exams do not match previous medical histories.
• The minor does not respond to treatments.
• The progression of the disease is unusual and unexplained.
• The disease tends to get worse in the presence of the caregiver.
• The caregiver appears to be the only witness to the symptoms.
• The caregiver seems quite calm in the consultations, regardless of the condition of her son.
• There is a high degree of knowledge and medical interest on the part of the caregivers.
• The caregiver tries not to separate from the child at any time.
• The parent in question redirects the doctor's attention to her health and personal problems and not to the child's.
• The symptoms seem to remit in the absence of the parents when the child is hospitalized.

Although the most common cases of this affectation are between mothers with their children, they are not limited to these types of cases. Munchausen syndrome by proxy It can occur in any relationship where there is a person's dependence on a caregiver. Therefore, it can also appear in babysitters or in people who care for the elderly or people with disabilities.

The exact causes of Munchausen syndrome by proxy are not known, but there have been observed psychological factors and personality traits that tend to appear in people who suffer from:

• Need for attention
• Lack of father figures in childhood
• Lack of affection of children
• Abuses and child abuse. In the following article you will find the consequences of child psychological abuse.
• Dependence on the health system
• Masochistic personality traits
• Schizotypal personality traits
• Psychopathy
• Presence of Munchausen syndrome

Although the causes are unknown, it seems that some underlying motivations can be discerned: the motivation of these people seems to lie in a clear need for attention, compassion, pity and recognition for their care by others.

There does not seem to be any financial motivation, since they are capable of investing a lot of money and effort in the interventions and "care" of their victim.

Munchausen syndrome by proxy cases are tricky. What should be done in situations where the life of a minor may be affected? Should parents continue to care for the child? The approach of these cases is varied and complex, usually being a multidisciplinary intervention where the process can be prosecuted. The priority in these cases is to ensure the diagnosis of the person and put the minor to safety if the situation is serious by contacting social services. Once the well-being of the minor is assured, the intervention with the person suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy tends to be difficult. They do not usually recognize that their actions are harmful and they are not very willing to do treatments. Still, these patients must commit to doing psychotherapies, family therapies or taking drugs.

Without a doubt, Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a singular occurrence. It can arouse curiosity not only in the clinical setting, but also in the art world. The ability to explore this psychological disorder has drawn the attention of different film directors who have produced films that have either centered their plot on Munchausen syndrome, or it is a subplot of the narrative cinematographic. These films help to shed light on the characteristics and severity that arise from this mental illness and are an excellent way to learn and inquire about this topic. Here we leave you the names of some movies about Munchausen syndrome:

• The sixth Sense
• The invisible thread
• Proxy
• A child's cry for help

It is especially recommended A child's cry for help, an excellent work that perfectly uses the Munchausen syndrome by proxy to create a unique and interesting scenario, where the main doctor encounters a somewhat peculiar.

Throughout recent history, there have been unfortunately serious cases of this disease that have made headlines around the world. One of these cases has been Kaylene bowen. This Texas mother was arrested for taking her son Christopher to the hospital 323 times and putting him through 13 surgeries, claiming that her son suffered from allergy to the milk, terminal cancer, who needed lung transplants and many other affectations throughout the visits when in truth the 8-year-old was always good. The doctors noticed this thanks to the incoherent statements that her mother made regarding the state of health and diseases that seemed to plague Cristopher, changing from day to morning. The case went viral even before the arrest, since her mother managed to get him to Little Christopher will become "famous" on social media by raising funds for his interventions.

Syndrome Munchausen: real cases

If you are interested in knowing more about real cases that made the news, here are some cases to be able to investigate later on the networks:

• In case of Lacey spears, who was convicted of the death of her son for being poisoned with salt.
• Blanca Montano, convicted of child abuse, she alleged that her daughter had up to nine infections at the same time. She kept her daughter sick by infecting her with fecal matter and other bacteria in the hospital until she killed her.
• Julie Gregory in her book Sickened: The true story of a lost childhood He claims that her mother gave him matches as "candy" and forced him to eat them so that she could get sick.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

• Cerda Ojeda, F., Goñi González, T., & Gómez de Terreros, I. (2006). Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Forensic Medicine Notebooks, (43-44), 47-55.
• Lachica, E. (2010). Abused child syndrome: medico-legal aspects. Forensic Medicine Notebooks, 16(1-2), 53-63.