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Munchausen syndrome - a special addiction?

Munchausen syndrome - a special addiction? Is this syndrome same thing as malingering and how can we see the difference?

It sounds absurd but it is a part of our daily lives. Faking something is what people around us actually do. Maybe we do not notice it or we do not recognize it, but this behavior is there. We are talking about an invisible property that some people experience on daily basis.

This property is actually defined as a mental health disorder. We are talking about Munchausen syndrome. People who have this syndrome have an inner need to be seen as ill or injured. They want to attract an attention and get sympathy from other people.

In the subject of this article we wonder if Munchausen syndrome maybe is a special addiction. Well, as stated above it is a mental health disorder. Obviously, it is not any kind of addiction. Having this syndrome is not same thing as malingering and therefore we should be careful in this case. Malingering means that someone exaggerates or fakes an illness to, for example, get out of work. A person with Munchausen syndrome does not want to achieve a concrete benefit, such as getting medications or financial gain. However, both are existing and we are surrounded by some of them.

Short history

Munchausen syndrome is named after Baron von Munchausen, a German officer from 18th century who was known for embellishing the stories of his life and experiences. According to an online article we can see that the symptoms of this syndrome are similar to how this German Baron told his wild and unbelievable tales.

How do we know if someone has this syndrome or not? There are different signs and symptoms and they are explained on different websites. The most important one seems to be that a person with Munchausen syndrome needs an attention rather than achieving a benefit by faking a sickness or an injury.