Munchausen Syndrome

[IfWishesWereHorses]

I'm curious to know if anyone has ever had any experience with someone who has been diagnosed with or suspected of having Munchausen Syndrome. A friend has related issues with her stepmother over the years and its ALWAYS been in the back of my mind but after the last issue I'm almost certain of it. The H/Father is a MD and VERY protective of his wife, which has caused a major rift between my friend and the stepmom as he has raised her as a single dad and they are very close. Because of this I haven't dared to mention my suspicion to my friend because I would never want to be responsible for making that situation worse.

 

I'm curious to know if anyone else has had experiences with someone who has been evaluated, treated, or even suspected of having this syndrome.

[tinktronik]

I had a friend who I worked with for a couple of years in my early 20's. We will call her Kat, I've stayed in touch with her through the years. She had given birth to 7 children when I met her. 5 had been removed by the state and later adopted, but she would never talk about why. The other 2 were quite young when I met her, 14 mo. and under, and it later became apparent that Kat had a tendency to be 'very overprotective', claims of illness when there was none, separate her children from others, insist that a diagnosis for her children was present when none had been given or was even suspected, it went on and on to the point where the children had unnecessary surgeries and she removed them from school completely, they were terrified of everything, and their life seemed like one catastrophe after another.

 

But on the other-hand, it had a subtlety to it as well, she clearly did love her children, made all of their clothes by hand, they ate the best foods and had all the toys they could possibly ask for. Unless you got close or poked at the surface you would not realize what was going on. Family courts have attempted to force her into treatment for MBP but she has refused time and again.

 

It's warped. Her remaining 2 children were taken 2 years ago by the state as well after it just became glaring that it was out of control and that she was very, very sick. She gave birth to twins in January of this year, so the cycle begins again.

[IfWishesWereHorses]

WOW, thanks for sharing Tink. Did she herself have a history of illnesses that you witnessed? Its so interesting that those MBP are so very protective of their children and often remove them from school and attempt to create such a codependency in them.

 

I assume either the someone in the educational or health care system alerted SS of the problem. Its amazing that even though she's lost her children she refuses to admit to a problem and to accept treatment, even when it means she may loose subsequent problems.

 

Do you know if she had a history of being abused as a child or adult? Would you say that she was a nurturing person to people other than her children? She's had 9 kids! Is she married or with a partner and do they recognize the problem? That's such a sad story.

[tinktronik]

WOW, thanks for sharing Tink. Did she herself have a history of illnesses that you witnessed?

 

She grew up in Minnesota, I think, and had no real close ties with her parents. I know she conceived her first child at 14 and claims it was with a famous Nascar driver. I suspect it may have been incest. Her father, the one time I met him, behaved quite oddly toward her and the mother seemed quite uptight about the two of them together. Something about the way dad looked at her and the way they bantered seemed inappropriate.

 

Its so interesting that those MBP are so very protective of their children and often remove them from school and attempt to create such a codependency in them.

 

I assume either the someone in the educational or health care system alerted SS of the problem.

 

Her issue came to light through a custody grab by one of the children's fathers; her history of losing children and why became apparent along with what was currently going on during case discovery. She created a kind of tug of war where she believed 'assumed target of the day' was going to or was doing bad things to/for her kids. She claimed one had cerebral palsy, when she did not. and trussed her up in braces. The other had a questionable seizure disorder, but no one ever witnessed the seizures but her. They both had had their tonsils and appendix removed by 2y/o and spent 3 days of the week at a doctors office and another 3 at the therapist. There is so much more...

 

Do you know if she had a history of being abused as a child or adult?

 

I know she claimed all sorts of outrageous things, but MBP is such an attentions seeking 'thing' that you don't really know what the truth is from one day to the next.

 

Would you say that she was a nurturing person to people other than her children?

 

I would say she attempts to be nurturing, but what she's doing even with her children is setting it all up for drama and attention spotlighted on herself... So nurturing, mmm, I don't know.

 

She's had 9 kids! Is she married or with a partner and do they recognize the problem? That's such a sad story

 

Most of the kids have different dads. They all left as fast as they could once children became involved. My understanding is that her hyper-vigilance became directed at the male in defense of the children with no reason and the men in her life jumped ship fast.

 

MBP bleeds into every aspect of her life, with attention seeking, drama and spotlighting herself, children or no. It reminds me very much of the women I know who have been diagnosed with BPD. It's like a stranger, just slightly, more hidden aspect of the same thing.

[IfWishesWereHorses]

Thanks again for sharing Tink. You know, it IS very much like BPD now that you mention it. Certainly, the lying, manipulating, and attention seeking are there in both instances. That's very interesting... and sad as well.

[amerikajin]

I think I've known a person or two who exhibited Munchausen type behavior although I don't know if they could clinically be labeled in that sense.