A fake heart attack or a heated thermometer? Yes, people might fake illnesses sometimes
11 Nov, 2022
It is not uncommon to see kids both in real life and fiction pretending to be sick when it's time to catch the bus for school. It might be interesting to know that this behaviour is not limited to children alone.
Source: ThehealthsiteMalingering is acting or pretending to be sick when in reality you are not. People might do this act for some external benefit like getting a false medical leave or to escape a legal trial.
Source: ThehealthsiteOne must know malingering is not a mental condition but an act done to avoid some outcome or get some benefit. People might do it for some reward or benefit like avoidance of work or duty, getting a disability status, getting an insurance settlement or other reasons.
Source: ThehealthsiteIt is a common scene in fiction and thriller movies where some actor pretends to be sick and they do it by raising the temperature by putting it under a lamp or tampering with their urine sample. In real life, some people might also engage in this behaviour like pretending to get a heart attack.
Source: ThehealthsiteOne must know that people who engage in malingering are neither sick nor believe that they are sick. However, there are other psychological illnesses like a factitious disorder where the person believes that they are sick when in reality they are not. They might be enjoying the attention they get from being ill.
Source: ThehealthsiteWhen the patient is feigning physical illness, it is still possible to spot them by running some tests that might show things otherwise. However, when the patient starts feigning psychological symptoms like hallucinations or other symptoms associated with psychosis, it becomes tricky for the clinician to identify.
Source: ThehealthsiteApart from over-the-counter medicines, there are drugs you can only get through a prescription. These might include some opioids or sleeping drugs. People who might be addicted to drugs could feign illness to get them.
Source: ThehealthsiteThere is a clinically accepted form of child abuse called the ‘Munchausen by proxy where the parent might make the child sick to draw attention to themselves. If the objective is financial, then some malingering is involved.
Source: ThehealthsiteThe situation is tricky for physicians who would in the least try to believe that their patient is lying. They might suspect such behaviour when the test results are not aligned with symptoms, or the patient is not consistent in his description or if the physician has some idea that the patient might be involved in some legal trial.
Source: ThehealthsiteThis maladaptive behaviour exercised by some can abuse the medical system to some extent and can waste the time of other patients who might genuinely require the care.
Source: ThehealthsiteThanks For Reading!