MUNCHAUSEN SYNDROME || vs. hypochondria + narcissism, diagnosing it, + more

A video about what Munchausen syndrome is, how to diagnose it, comparing it to hypochondria and narcissism, and explaining a bit of my personal experience with a mom who has Munchausen syndrome.

This is a devastating disorder in which a person repeatedly and deliberately fakes physical illness to manipulate those around them. As mentioned in the video, I view your body as the one thing you truly get for good in this life, and a Munchausen person is destroying theirs on purpose.

Although it is extremely difficult to diagnose Munchausen syndrome and can only truly be diagnosed by a close loved one after many years, below I provided a list of symptoms to tell you what to look for in a person you suspect as having Munchausen syndrome.
~dramatic medical history
~unclear, uncontrollable, severe medical symptoms
~predictable relapses following improvement in condition
~extensive medical knowledge
~presence of multiple surgical scars
~appearance of new or additional symptoms following negative test results
~presence of symptoms only when patient is with others
~eager to have medical tests and operations
~history of seeking treatment at numerous hospitals with different doctors
~problems with identity and self esteem

The exact cause is unknown, but some suggest that a history of abuse or neglect as a child or a history of frequent illness might factor into the development of the syndrome. It is also known that there may be a link to personality disorders, which are common in people with Munchausens.

I could share so much more on the topic! Narcissism and Munchausen syndrome, my mom's history, Munchausen by proxy, my lifetime discovering it, how I used to deal with her when the syndrome was flaring up, patterns in her illness cycle, and more. There is more to come. (:

Remember, if your loved one has Munchausen syndrome you are not cruel for your feelings on their well-being, and you are not alone! This syndrome is real, serious, and very sad for everyone involved. Please support others by sharing a bit of your experience in the comment section, you really never know who will read it and feel support just by seeing that other people have similar experience. Of course, also leave any questions or comments you'd like, as well!

Happy Healing (:
Allisun

[Sojourner]

To note... No matter how much attention you give this person it is never enough.
This video is spot on

[sydonix]

I got diagnosed with Munchausen's and traits of narcissism recently. I'm 19 and got hospitalised after I made myself sick. Anyway I almost died tryna do that so I'm going for therapy now trying to change. This vid helped. Thanks

[terriortiz]

Thank you for your genuine authenticity. I was raised and groomed by a Narcissistic Mother with possible Munchausen. She was supposedly diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1976 when I was 9 or 10. She may actually have MS, I just don’t know. What I do know is that she has used her condition throughout the years to manipulate others emotion, to get other people to do all the work, to get other people to take care of her, to get attention, etc… my Mother used her condition in particular with me to keep me under her control through guilt. I am 54 years old and just realized what she’s been doing all my life. She’s kept me close, used underhanded ways to covertly manipulate me. I have suffered for years and still today, from chronic feelings of guilt. It has become my go to whenever something happens, I feel guilty. I might have done many things with my life that I could not or would not do because of my Mother. It is difficult to explain because it’s incredibly insidious. It is damaging and she has torn our family apart by driving a wedge in between everyone with her lies. I subscribed to your channel because I simply find it incredibly difficult to find anyone who “gets it”, and also because you come across as a very real and honest person. I don’t know if you have done a video on this topic, or if not, if you would consider doing a video on the harmful effects of guilt and other means used by the narcissist to control. Thanks again. So glad I found your channel!!

[itwasalladream]

My sisters and I are suffering with our mother and her narcissistic Munchausen disease.. she literally has had us all fooled for years, I’m just now realizing the truth. She broke her jaw when she was a child in a bicycle accident and uses this as the gateway to self diagnose herself with all sorts of different Illnesses.. my nana ( her mother ) is 89 and literally cries herself to sleep thinking my mother has only a short amount of time to live because of the crazy accusations my mother says to her about her “sicknesses”. She thrives off of the attention people give to her about different operations she claims to be under going. She never lets any of us come with her to the doctors... she goes to the ER and faints like an actress as soon as she walks in.. she literally talks with a slur one minute and the next she talks normally, over the years she’s mastered her acting skills to a T. She stresses my family to the core. She is happy living in constant chaos, me being the oldest of 5 sisters and wanting to take care of my elderly nanas well being needs to figure out a game plan and stop my mother from getting worst and worst. Your video opened my eyes, I’m sorry you’re going threw the same.

[michellewilloby]

My Narc mother was in the Emergency room, more than her own home. Stay on your healing journey, this is not your fault any more than my Narc mother was mine.

[Simplesimple]

My parent has this . It's driving me mad, she plays everyone so well and convinced them and makes me look the mad one for not believing her . But I know her well and I called her in her behaviour and she got worse . It's beyond stressful to live with .

[E]

Finding videos like this has really helped me to understand what exactly I was dealing with when it came to my parents. I've struggled to find videos talking about this topic specifically so for posting this I thank you. In less than a month I'll be moving out and away from my mom. Its been a hard road out of hell but things are finally starting to look up.

[rapunzelmane]

Your video reminded me of an English Serial Killer named Beverley Allitt, also known as the 'Angel of Death'. As a child, she had Munchausen's Syndrome and was always seeking attention, though she had a normal childhood. However, it developed in Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy after she left school at 16 to train as a nurse and work for the National Health Service. She had previously worked as a baby sitter. In 1991, upon starting work in a hospital, and within a period of just 59 days, she proceeded to murder 3 babies and an 11-year-old in her 'care', and attempted to murder a further 9 children. She would inject the children with insulin and then rush in to 'save' them in order to play the hero. The parents of the children had thought she was warm and friendly. She received 13 life sentences.

[thomasmurray]

Thank you. So much. My mother has a factitious disorder and is about to die. Compounding this disorder is her life long addiction to opioids and benzodiazepines. Her addiction to substances has destroyed her body over time. She is 80 now. Has no insight and is at the end. She is dying . And I can't help but to think the obvious: I never had a real or meaningful relationship with her. The person who gave birth to me. My own mother. She has never been there for me or my siblings (my brother committed suicide in 2022), not in any meaningful way, not in any deeper emotional way. Everything has always revolved around her and her needs and no one else's. And it is excruciatingly sad and painful to see and watch her die without any closure.

[FallingKnife]

THANK YOU! I'm at the end of my rope dealing with someone with the same illness in the shelter I'm in currently. They happen to be incredibly spiteful when they realise they know you know!

[BVenge-pewi]

Another one to add. If they have a crisis only when other people are ill/injured. And a narc munchies issue will always be the priority.

[sarahmasters]

Thank you for being so authentic and putting yourself and your pain out there so others can understand the disorder. I know you posted this five years ago but it’s even more relevant today so thank you for keeping it out there. I pray you are doing well today. Stay strong!

[ptomisticprime]

I know my Mom had this. Every single example you've expressed, my Mom did also!!She passed away two weeks ago and I feel so guilty. I know I did what I could to help her but it's such a sad, debilitating sickness. Thank you for your information and take care

[alicegelfand]

Amazing, amazing video! I have a close friend whom I have long suspected has the disorder. So much of what you said ticks the boxes - I feel very enlightened by what you said, you are probably one-third my age & I’m thankful you had the courage to share your experience & I like the idea of being helped by someone so young. Wish you all the best moving forward😊

[MLJay]

I’m very, VERY angry. My aging narcissist mom has full blown munchausen now. All kids are grown and gone, many relationships imploded and scattered due to her terrible behaviors. Now she’s constantly in hospitals and posting daily traumatic “health updates” with winey baby voiced videos of herself on FB tagging all her kids, grandkids, friends from her childhood, acquaintances, friends from church (she hasn’t gone in 20 years) and even kids of these people. Constant emergencies. She’s had lumbar punctures, MRIs, surgeries to remove infectious tissues and more.

Every single time a report comes back clean, which is always, she suddenly has a worse emergency. She even calls this “my disease” since no doctor has been able to diagnose her. She’s in one of the top medical centers in the the time. She post pictures of her with teams of doctors. She posts pictures of how beautiful the hospital is. Like pictures of the chapel and lobby, etc like she’s on some grand vacation.

She has Dad take pictures and post them where she appears half dead. She post oozing pictures of scars where tissue has been removed.
And don’t get me wrong, she looks sick. She keeps herself looking so ill and posting all this horrible stuff that her FB stays alive with sympathy, prayers, well wishes and on and on.

Just last week she was crying in a video bc no one had come to visit her since she came home from her hospital stay just 7 days before. So.. people she hadn’t seen in probably 30 years went to visit her. The next day she was back in the hospital. Self admitted.

She manipulates her own grandchildren.

She is highly intelligent. The medical world was everything to her. People called her “Readers Digest” because she knew something about everything. She took us to doctors for every single minute thing as kids. She did not make us sick.. she was not by proxy. But if we sneezed, she would pull us out of school and have us at the doctor office.
She took us to psychiatrists when we started going through normal adolescent issues. She put us in 30 day treatment centers for normal teen issues.
She loves doctors. Loves attention from doctors. Loves to verbally spar with doctors and even correct them to show how knowledgeable she is. And she is.

I’m tired of the entire charade. Dad has been codependent to her and ran circles around her to keep her happy our entire lives. He doesn’t have the backbone to get her the Psychiatric help she needs.

And I’m pissed off at these highly skilled doctors in the Texas Medical Center in Houston who keep playing her game and making loads of $$$ off of it.

I’m so tired of the entire charade and how it’s torn apart the relationships in my family.

[HarrietFitzgerald]

My father does this. He has Chron's but has done everything to make it ten times worst. He's also made up a lot of other "illnesses" and I would get so wrapped up in his stories. I would worry about him and then would have to remind myself that whether it is true or not he is sick, he is causing his illnesses. It's hard and made me feel heartless, but in the end he gets enough concern and pity from the rest of his family, he certainly doesn't need mine too. 😉

[ReversemortgagedataSanDiego]

After searching “ hyperchondria vs munchausen” and trying to understand the difference, your video popped up. Wow. It was like the best thing I could have seen. After hearing everything it’s opened my eyes. Thank you for your openness.

[nmorgan]

My mom has Munchausen Syndrome. My whole life, she has been “sick”. I have always had to be the mother instead of the child. I am 34 and she is 53 now and it has only gotten worse. People don’t believe me when I tell them that my mom is purposely making herself sick to gain attention. I love my mom, but I hate that she makes herself sick to get attention. I don’t know anybody else who has a mother with this issue. I feel so alone and depressed. I’m afraid that my mom is going to go too far one day and end up dead.

[FollowHollow]

This was extremely helpful, thank you. And not just the video but all of the comments as well, reeeaally helped settle my mind. Just want you to know that coming across this was exactly what I needed right now after realizing my sister most likey having this condition for over 10 years and what it has done to me and my family. It helps to understand why they treat you the way they do. I no longer feel as if I'm going in circles. Huge breakthrough but now of course the concern is how and if this could be fixable. The unknown is a huge fear but well never know unless we try something after obtaining as much knowlege and preparation as possible then taking action, right? I feel as if ill have a hard time never being truthful to her about how we feel and pretending that we don't notice what she's doing....?

[pipp]

I normally don't comment on videos but after reading several of the coments, I feel the need to share my story. My sister is suspected to have munchousen syndrome for around 8 years. Although it has effected and impacted my life in so many negative ways, I am the person I am today beause of my sister. As a child, I learned patience through taking care of my sister and tending to her every need and wants as I thought it was my job. I thought it was my responsability to keep her alive and healthy so I learned to care and love for someone who is very hard to love. and more recently, I have learned to set boundaries and be firm in my abilities and decisions. living with my sister has taught me the patience, endurance, care, and firmness I will need when I get my teaching degree. However, this does not change the fact that I still struggle every day with the effects my sister had on me. I am no longer in communication with her as I chose to no longer put up with her manipulation as it was not good or healthy for me. This has been honestly so freeing but a struggle every day. recently, I have decided that it is most important to hold on to the good memories I had of my sister before munchousen syndrome as there are very few things I remember of her and when she passes, these are the memories I want to remember to share with my future children. Not the hospital trips, medicine overdosing, pure manipulation or the days when I was her caretaker. my sister has now become the 'subject that we don't talk about' in my family which is sad to think of as she is still my sister. the person she is now is not my sister and I know that she may never be the same person I knew 8 years ago. honestly, the lengths to which she has gone to fake ilnesses has almost cost her life and may very well kill her at any moment. Other than cutting communication with your mom, what are some things that you have done to heal from your past and on the effect that she had on you groing up? how has it helped you to be the person you are today? Thank you so much for sharing your story. Your right, there are not a lot of personal accounts from people who lived with someone with munchousen or any awareness among medical people. I would love to see more videos about how her munchousen syndrome effected you and how you are working thorugh all of it.