Anorexia or Münchhausen ?

Question

I've met about 5 women who claim to be anorectic. I must say that i kinda grew suspicious about what is really going on when we went out and they would be like, "i don't eat' and the rest of the group would glare at her cause she is all skin and bones claiming to be on a diet making the rest of the women unable to eat cause she was looking at them in a weird way.

Sometimes when people aren't all over her asking her about her anorexia, she would suddently act ill and be okay right after people have turned their attention to her. I confronted one of them. When she said she is on a diet, i told her 'yeah you need to lose a few more' she got really angry and said 'you don't know how it's like'.

in my opinion, it sounds more like a Münchhausen syndrome. I knew someone with anorexia and the key thing was, she didn't know. She realised when we had an intervention for her, and she delt with it. She did start from dieting, but after, she just had no appetite without realizing she was loosing way more than needed. Also she wore full clothing, not the tight/short/child size/rib and bones revealing outfits the rest wore like the rest giving me me the impression that they will go to extreme limits for attention, mentioning their anorexia or what they ate for the past 2 days is an apple and that's it.

Is this really anorexia, or is it a Münchhausen syndrome?

Answer 1

It can be both, it does not have to be one or the other.  As you pointed out, a person can be anorexic and not know it.  But it can also be anorexia, which is a specific medical condition, as a symptom of a Munchausen personality disorder.  The attention-getter does sound like a Munchausen, but the classic Munchausen likes the attention they get in a hospital emergency visit, which is why the syndrome is also known as Hospital Addiction Syndrome.  

Answer 2

What is Münchhausen syndrome? I've never heard of it.

Answer 3

it could be niether, but probably munchhausen

a lot of girls now will say they are anorexic.

theres that thing called proana (pro anorexia) and promia (pro bulimia)

girls will try to become anorexic.

but i think real anorexics don't even really realize what they are doing, and it is a mental disorder.

also people with anorexia usaully don't go around saying they have it. they try to hide it. normally.

also the medical term anorexia only means loss of appetite.

so someone can be going through anorexia . but  that doesnt mean they have anorexia nervosa.

i doubt this girl has it.

Answer 4

I am not a qualified in psychiatry mediine or have a copy of the DSM in front of me but I would have to say i think you are offbase. Anorexia is a similar disease of the mind but is more of a subculture of control. A person prone to anorexia usually feels unheard and out of control. The one thing a person can control is what they eat and what they weigh. The person with Muchnausen is attention seeking for attention's sake and usually uses the medical system. An anorexic will usualy hide their disease so that they can perpetuate it further without grief.