Narcissism? Munchausen and Munchausen by Proxy Syndromes
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- Опубліковано 9 вер 2024
- Everything You Need to Know about Narcissists, Psychopaths, and Abuse - click on this link: www.narcissisti...
Patients afflicted with the Factitious Disorder colloquially known as "Munchausen Syndrome" seek to attract the attention of medical personnel by feigning or by self-inflicting serious illness or injury. "Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome" (Factitious Illness or Disorder by Proxy, or Imposed by Another, or FII -- Fabricated or Induced Illness by Carers) involves the patient inducing illness in or causing injury to a dependent (child, old parent) in order to gain, in her capacity as a caretaker, the attention, praise, and sympathy of medical care providers. Both syndromes are forms of shared psychosis (folie a deux or a plusieurs) and "crazy-making" with hospital staff as unwilling and unwitting participants in the drama.
Superficially, this overwhelming need for consideration by figures of authority and role models (doctors, nurses) resembles the narcissist's relentless and compulsive pursuit of narcissistic supply (which consists of attention, adulation, admiration, being feared or noted, etc.) But, there are some important differences.
To start with, the narcissist -- especially the somatic variety -- worships his body and cherishes his health. If anything, narcissists tend to be hypochondriacs. They are loath to self-harm and self-mutilate, let alone fake laboratory tests and consume potentially deleterious substances and medications. They are also unlikely to seriously "damage" their sources of supply (e.g., children) as long as they are compliant and adulating.
As opposed to narcissists, people with both Munchausen Syndromes desire acceptance, love, caring, relationships, and nurturing, not merely attention: theirs is an emotional need that amounts to more than the mere regulation of their sense of self-worth. They have no full-fledged False Self, only a clinging, insecure, traumatized, deceitful, and needy True Self. Munchausen Syndrome may be comorbid (can be diagnosed with) personality disorders, though and the patients are pathological liars, schizoid, paranoid, hypervigilant, and aggressive (especially when confronted.)
While narcissists are indiscriminate and "promiscuous" when it comes to their sources of narcissistic supply -- anyone would do -- patient with the Munchausen Syndromes derive emotional nurturance and sustenance mainly from healthcare practitioners.
(From the book "Malignant Self-love: Narcissism Revisited" by Sam Vaknin - Click on this link to purchase the print book, or 16 e-books, or 3 DVDs with 16 hours of video lectures on narcissists, psychopaths, and abuse in relationships: www.narcissisti...)
My parents falsely insisted I was mentally retarded and had seizures. I was the victim of narcissistic abuse by my father. I was excluded from activities involving other family members and neighbors. They would not provide basic school supplies (difficulty getting pencils, no pens, no book bags, and no desk). They made me feel isolated and emotionally starved.
My mother convinced the whole family that I was mentally retarded since I was small. She made sure I looked unkept and sought to have me fixed when I was small so I could not have children. As an adult I had her friends come up to me shocked because they were told I was mentally retarded. As a child no relatives would interact with me or talk to me. I grew up being lonely scared and unloved by everyone in my family. With exception of my grandmother. She even convinced my father! In his his eyes I was a serious disappointment due to her rhetoric
You are not alone. Your situation sounds terrible and more severe than mine. My parents falsely insisted I was mentally retarded and had seizures. I was excluded from activities involving other families and neighbors. I was the victim of narcissistic abuse by my father. No one understands and if I explain I sound foolish and trivial.
Even tough Britney Spears may have some mental health problems, would you say that a lot of her problems come from her family? Is Britney’s dad a narcissist? possibly her mum also? And that her dad could also have inflicted Munchausen by proxy on Britney? as a part of gaslighting her, amongst isolating her and using her to control her, her entire life.
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Thank you for uploading this interesting discussion.
I hope I am not too off topic here. Oddly I know this woman in an online group I am in who has very little impulse control and seems to use her sick pony as a means to get attention and sympathy. She is definitely an attention seeker. I even suspect she is making her pony sick in order to get attention. Munchausen? I didn't want to believe it at first, but then I looked up the incidence of that happening, and it does happen with people with pets, so it is a possibility. She doesn't care what the vets think, but she likes the attention she gets in our group. OK, now her elderly father is sick, and she is using that. Seems to be a pattern here. I am deaf, and it seems she also sees that as a threat to her attention seeking, and she doesn't deal well with it at all. She sent me an email at one point that was disgusting--like she has a grudge against me.
Maybe a little un related but the ex N got rhumatoid arthritis in his thirties as a result of over indulgence in alcohol etc, the wrong foods, strange eating habits which resulted in painful swelling and bone growth in the wrists and one ankle. From what he has said this was a major life crisis for him in that he was not invincible and perfect as he could not believe such a thing could happen to him, and damaging to his vanity . He blamed his ex before me for the illness because of the "stress" she caused him but from what has been said and witnessed I can gather otherwise of course. He used this illness at times when he wanted attention especially from his ex who was a carer for disabled in the community, she is a very gullible woman and he would use it to induce guilt and sympathy in her and would suddenly have an RA "flare up" especially if she ever mentioned hurrying up the divorce she wanted and then blame her and turn on the tears from his pain. I know this illness can be painful but I believe he had it under control and soon knew when he was faking - sometimes I think he would even eat or drink certain foods that he knew would cause swelling (but then he was such a convincing actor it could have just been completely faked) to then post a picture of his sudden flare up on facebook and the like for attention and sympathy and this was a large part of how he controlled his ex; and I think he also wanted her still around becasue she had known him before the aesthetically noticable illness. He also got athsma later on and a couple of times had serious attacks which he would lie to his ex about and say it was becasue of what I was doing to him and she would stupidly jump to his defense and send me messages to "tell me off" - not the sharpest knife in the draw. After listening to this my Narcissist mother i think would have some of this muchausen thing aswell as narcissism if that is possible, as she would claim she had certain illnesses she did not have for attention but then she would constantly be taking antibiotics after going to the doctor for every little unnecessary thing and consume any pill given (for her claims) without concern for what it did to her health.
He's trying to get people with a hero complex to rush to his defense.
Narcissist people are the devil. Fucking lunatics!!
I'm highly suspicious that my ex partner has this. To the point where I have had enough. Years of his medical tests for everything. Every conversation is about his illnesses. Its got to the point where he no longer has any relationship with his son. Can't cope with it any more
Hello Sam Vaknin. Could you give your thoughts sometime about _Munchhausen's by Internet_? I think there's a different dynamic at play since healthcare providers don't play a role.
I think that cops who have been caught on camera shooting arthritic old dogs and then claiming how heroic they are while under attack are like Munchausen women.
@@stugrant01 I think you are onto something there...
I need help for my family. Do you offer support in any way? Are you available to be contacted?
I am fully booked but my wife, Lidija, is available for consultations. To purchase an hour of her time, kindly click on this link: www.ccnow.com/cgi-local/cart.cgi?vaksam_LIDIJACONSULT
How do I know if I am a narcissist Sam?