Abstract
MSbP is a mental disorder that causes parents to falsify their child’s symptoms and predetermined diagnosis. This is normally done by mothers who are seeking attention from the preferred environment of the medical field. The offenders themselves do not suffer from MSbP, they inflict it onto their children and therefore are the indirect patient, using their children as the one who actually undergoes all of the treatments.
Keywords: MSbP, Disorder, Parent, Child, Medical Staff
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSbP), is a form of child abuse in which a parent or caregiver makes up or actually causes illnesses within a child so that they may obtain professional medical treatment and advice for the child all the while
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Over the years there has been one common factor that many professionals who study MSbP have concluded and that is the fact that it is one of the hardest types of abuse to establish a diagnosis on. There was little to no records of it in previous years so the work being done to better understand this disorder have all been done within the last few decades (Castiglia, 1995). When looking at the previous recorded cases of MSbP, more than one-third of the victims at the time did not realize they were undergoing abuse (Castiglia, 1995). This is one of the most collective reasons as to why this disorder lacks the history it needs to be further studied and thought of when looking at types of abuse. When first discovered and studied, more than two-thirds of people did not believe that MSbP could be or was a real disorder. Today, even with history and scholarly studies backing up its allegations and results, only one-fourth of the population say’s that they completely believe in it and think it is a serious matter that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible (Beard, 2007).
Symptoms and Signs
When looking at MSbP, the first part to take into account is that it is an active type of abuse. There are two types of MSbP noted
In our daily lives the theme of peer pressure still occurs. Shown in an article, “Did a Rare Form of Child Abuse Make a Daughter Murder Her Mom?” by Harriet Sokmensuer, the whole point of the article is to describe why the daughter killed her mother. The mother, Dee Dee Blanchard suffered from Munchausen by proxy, which is a disease where someone exaggerates or induces illness in a child for attention
* ‘Where a child sustains a potentially life threatening injury or serious and permanent impairment of health and development through abuse and neglect’
Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome is a very dangerous disorder. This disorder came about to identify a parent who intentionally causes harm to their child. This disorder was named after Baron von Munchausen who discovered it. Symptoms are hard to identify because many do not believe a parent could harm their own child. The main symptom is that the child only becomes sick or is harmed in the presence of their parent. The parent tries to maintain a relationship with the doctor of the child because this disorder is based on the parents need for attention from the doctor, other parents, and their child. MBPS is caused by a need for attention and sympathy of the parent for “helping” their child. The only treatment known for this disorder is extensive psychotherapy. Munchausen by Proxy is a very rare behavioral disorder. “This form of abuse claims the life of nine percent of children that fall victim to it.”
MEB disorders are health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, and/or behavior that are associated with distress and/or impaired functioning. Mental disorders contribute to a host of problems that may
Physically abuse which is when an adult physically harm the child , emotional abuse when an adult speaks negatively about the child and neglect when the child is not cared for adequately. 5. What is Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)? Why does SBS often go unnoticed? is a type of physical abuse and when an infant or small child is shaken violently causing brain damage , fractured bones and internal injuries to the organs.
The abuse is usually frequent enough that the victim internalizes it. This leaves the victim feeling fearful, insignificant, untrusting, emotionally needy, and unlovable. Survivors of this form of abuse have a hard time understanding why they feel so bad (Munro, K. 2001.).
In relating the details of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP), the initial reaction is usually shock, followed quickly by fascination. The reason for the latter is that the medical community has yet to make up their minds about what exactly MSBP is. The debate: psychiatric disorder v. child abuse. Essentially the arguments for both create a divide between the brain and behavior, though not relating the two.
Munchausen syndrome is a serious mental disorder in which someone with a deep need for attention pretends to be sick or gets sick or injured on purpose. People with Munchausen syndrome may make up symptoms, push for risky operations, or try to rig laboratory test results to try to win sympathy and concern.Typically, the cause is a need for attention and sympathy from doctors, nurses, and other professionals. Some experts believe that it isn't just the
Multiple personality Disorder, (MPD) was first recognized in the 1700’s but was not understood so therefore was soon forgotten. Many cases showed up during the years, but was overlooked, or misdiagnosed as either schizophrenia or psychosis. Many in the medical profession did not believe that a person could have more than one personality in a body, unknowingly, even after the 1950’s. In 1993, records show that three to five thousand people were being treated for MPD, compared to the hundred cases reported ten years earlier. The disease is commonly found in adults who were abused mentally, physically, emotionally, and or sexually as children, between birth to eight years of age. The child uses a process called disassociation to separate himself/herself from the abusive situation. This is when the child makes up a personality to take control of the mind and body. During abuse, usually there is a personality for every emotion and feeling when the abuse is taking place. Symptoms of the disease include: amnesia, hallucinations, depression, and suicidal thoughts, and tendencies, and there can be anywhere from two to over a hundred different personalities. Usually each personality will fall into one of the following categories: host, core, child, teenager, artistic, adult, animals, intimate members, self-helpers, persecutor, rescuer and helper. The child is usually under the age of twelve, with according behaviors,
To begin, I chose this article because when I read the title of the article I did not know what Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP) was. Therefore, I decided to read this article so that I would know what MSBP meant and how it is relevant to social work. I think that the author did a great job simply explaining what MSBP is and the components associated to it. I like that they broke the article into different sections so that it was easier to read and so that you could only read about a certain subtopic if you wanted to. The one thing I did not like about the article was that they did not give a detailed scenario of MSBP. They explained what it is and what it kind of looks like. But I did not
Children with mentally ill parents often have a mental illness of their own. Typically when the term “mental illness” is used, many people believe it to be schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder, or severe bipolar disorder; a mental illness can be depression or something as simple as anxiety. Children who have ill parents, especially if they are in and out of psychiatric hospitals, “find it difficult to cope because they do not have the maturity and coping tools to deal with certain complex situations.” (Byrne). An unstable relationship between child and parent(s) can lead to many issues with the child, such as high anxiety levels. Children with high anxiety levels often “find it difficult to concentrate on a task or school work due to their anxiety.”
2. Allen, J. G. (2001). Traumatic relationships and serious mental disorders. New York : Wiley.
The most common mental illnesses of parents, but psychologically very nasty child or infant, can not stand the baby's birth and the presence of the severe mistreatment baby. Some adults, psychologically vulnerable to the baby, not the baby as a baby, for the baby moves are considered or construed as an adult's actions, and contests to go treat. Sometimes, the parents of the baby, who suffers from mental abuse problems, because of delusions or other psychotic symptoms and behavior, and abuse of the baby's incomprehensible
I. Attention getter: Do you know a friend or family member who has been sexually abused? Or maybe you have experienced sexual abuse yourself? Are you aware of the psychological and developmental effects it can have on you or someone you may know? Chances are, you don’t—while sexual abuse is common, may people do not speak up, and the problem goes unrecognized.
The history of BPD can be traced back to 1938 when Adolph Stern first described the symptoms of the disorder as neither being psychotic nor psychoneurotic; hence, the term ‘borderline’ was introduced (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, 2009, p. 15). Then in 1960, Otto Kernberg coined the term ‘borderline personality organization’ to describe persistent patterns of behavior and functioning consisting of instability, and distressed psychological self-organization (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, 2009, p. 15).