Do you agree that Munchausen syndrome is unfairly portrayed in pop culture?

Question

for example, in shows like House and Grey's Anatomy, patients suspected of Munchhausen syndrome are spoken about and treated with contempt. The doctors on the shows think that these patients are attention seekers, a waste of time. Yes, the sufferers are manufacturing and feigning symptoms of illnesses, using up resources and facilities and leaving doctors at a loss as to a diagnosis for some time, but this is in itself is symptomatic of a very real psychiatric disease. There are very limited statistics on Munchhausen syndrome because sufferers do not seek help. If you knew that you'd be treated as a pathetic, attention seeking time waster, tell me, would YOU seek help? I'm interested to hear your thoughts.

Answer 1

I think the thing about Munchausen's and Munchausen's by Proxy is that they are such strange diseases.  Proxy is worse because it doesn't just harm the sufferer - it often ends with the death of a child.  There can be a lot of drama surrounding illnesses like these two, and that's part of the reason people are interested in watching TV shows about them, and reading books too - Caleb Carr's Angel of Darkness brought Munchausen's by Proxy to light.  

Answer 2

In Munchausen syndrome, the affected person exaggerates or creates symptoms of illnesses in themselves in order to gain investigation, treatment, attention, sympathy, and comfort from medical personnel. In some extremes, people suffering from Munchausen's Syndrome are highly knowledgeable about the practice of medicine, and are able to produce symptoms that result in multiple unnecessary operations. For example, they may inject a vein with infected material, causing widespread infection of unknown origin, and as a result cause lengthy and costly medical analyses and prolonged hospital stay. The role of "patient" is a familiar and comforting one, and it fills a psychological need in people with Munchausen's. It is distinct from hypochondria in that patients with Munchausen syndrome are aware that they are exaggerating, while sufferers of hypochondria actually believe they have a disease.

In many cases, a similar behavior called Munchausen syndrome by proxy has been documented in the parent or guardian of a child. The adult ensures that his or her child will experience some medical affliction, therefore compelling the child to suffer treatment for a significant portion of their youth in hospitals. Furthermore, a disease may actually be initiated in the child by the parent or guardian. Regardless of the mental health of the adult, this is a serious form of child abuse. Munchausen syndrome by proxy is considered distinct from Munchausen syndrome, see Munchausen syndrome by proxy

Therefore, I believe because THEY are aware of the fact that they are faking it, they should be euthanized.  

Answer 3

Like many menal illnesses, it is mostly viewed as it is a concious choise to behave that way.  Society as a whole veiws most mental illnesses that way.  Like those are chosen behaviors. (like anorexia....just eat....like its that easy...........or depression...stop dwelling on things and being pessemistic)  So Munchhausen is an attentoin dependent illness....doing whatever to get the attention....feigning illness in themselfs or in thier children (which is viewed as even worse but is the same illness).....Its not a concious choise and only someone suffereing from it can really tell you how the thought prossess and rational goes for it, but everyone else just assumes its a selfishness