{"id":24857,"date":"2024-02-05T19:49:49","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T19:49:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corswiss.ch\/?p=24857"},"modified":"2024-02-13T20:56:15","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T20:56:15","slug":"munchausen-syndrome-diagnosis-and-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corswiss.ch\/en\/munchausen-syndrome-diagnosis-and-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Munchausen Syndrome: Diagnosis and Treatment in Switzerland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Munchausen Syndrome is a psychiatric disorder in which a person simulates or deliberately induces medical symptoms in themselves or another person. This disorder is named after Baron Carl Friedrich von Munchausen, who was known for his numerous fictional stories about his adventures.<\/em><\/p>\n

Munchausen Syndrome is a rare condition, accounting for 0.2-1.3% of all mental disorders, with women being more affected than men. The average age of patients is 34 years old.<\/em><\/p>\n

Portrait of a person with Munchausen Syndrome<\/b><\/h2>\n

Munchausen Syndrome is classified as a borderline psychiatric disorder, representing one form of personality and behavioral disorder, where a person consults a doctor about somatic, imaginary, or intentionally induced symptoms and conditions that are not signs of a real pathological state. This is already a manifestation of deception. However, it is not about gaining material benefit. For such patients, the main life goal is hospitalization, and the process of treatment and staying in the hospital is more important to them than the result. Note that such conditions can arise after a genuine somatic illness, loss of a loved one, or due to loneliness.<\/span><\/p>\n

These individuals have characteristic disturbances in self-esteem, self-control, a strong need for dependence, and in case of severe disappointment, they can enter the world of fantasies and dreams. These patients require attention from medical personnel but try to avoid contact with psychiatrists because they unconsciously understand the essence of their problem. Therefore, they prefer to be admitted to the hospital late at night, at night, or on holidays when, in their opinion, young and inexperienced doctors are on duty in the emergency department. They also try not to visit local therapists and clinics and never end up in the same hospital. There has been a case described when one of such \"Baron Munchausen\" managed to visit 60 hospitals in a year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Interestingly, these patients have normal or above-average IQ, they have no changes in formal thinking, they can be interested in special medical literature, and have a complete understanding of the clinic of the fictitious disorder. The peak of the disease occurs at the age of 15 to 30 years old, but it can develop in the first few years of life. <\/span><\/p>\n

Main causes of Munchausen Syndrome<\/b><\/h2>\n

Munchausen Syndrome is characterized by the fact that people sensitive to this disorder are well aware that they do not have pronounced ailments, but at the same time, they have a strong desire to become physically ill. At the same time, the psychology of such a disorder is currently not reliably known, although experts agree that the nature of the syndrome lies in the early childhood of the person. Having once suffered from a severe illness and receiving a portion of increased attention to their person from loved ones, the person wants to feel maximum care again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the factors that can increase the risk of developing such a disorder, the following can be distinguished:<\/span><\/p>\n