Playing Sick? : Untangling the Web of Munchausen Syndrome, Munchausen by Proxy, Malingering, and Factitious Disorder

In the classic edition of this outstanding book, originally published in 2004, Dr. Marc Feldman explores the bizarre cases of real patients who feign or even self-induce illness. __Playing Sick?__ chronicles the devastating impact of illness hoaxes, including factitious disorders, Munchausen syndrome, Munchausen by proxy, and malingering. Based on years of research and clinical practice, __Playing Sick?__ provides the clues that can help professionals, family members, friends, and patients themselves to recognize these diagnoses, avoid invasive procedures, and understand elusive motives. Dr. Feldman offers practical advice to get emotionally ill patients the help they need. This classic edition is essential reading for physicians, social workers, and anyone interested in why and how individuals fabricate illness. Cover Playing Sick?: Untangling the Web of Munchausen Syndrome, Munchausen by Proxy, Malingering, and Factitious Disorder Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgements Introduction to Playing sick, Classic Edition By Stuart J. Eisendrath, M.D. 1 Dying for Attention 2 Disease of Deception? An Overview of the Issues 3 Pseudologia Fantastica: Lies Larger than Life 4 Invading the Body: The Enemy Within 5 Feverish Ploys 6 Out of Control: When the Ruse Becomes Real 7 False Accusations and the Girl Who Cried "Wolf" 8 Drawing Back the Curtains: The Motives Behind the Madness 9 Mental Masquerades 10 Munchausen by Proxy: When Factitious Disorder Becomes Abuse 11 Munchausen by Proxy 2: After Detection 12 Cyber-Deception: Virtual Factitious Disorder and Munchausen by Internet 13 People Who Care: The Casualties of Deception 14 Conscience, Ethics, and the Law 15 Detection and Diagnosis 16 Healing: Intervention and Treatment Notes Selected Readings Selected Websites Index "In this book Marc Feldman, describes people's strange motivations to fabricate or induce illness or injury to satisfy emotional needs, luring doctors and family members into a costly, frustrating, and potentially deadly web of deceit that is estimated to drain billions of dollars each year from the healthcare industry." "Based on years of research and clinical practice, Playing Sick? provides the clues that can help practitioners and family members recognize these disorders, avoid invasive procedures, and sort out the motives that drive people to hurt themselves and deceive others. With insight developed from hands-on experience, Feldman shows how to get these emotionally ill patients the psychiatric help they need."--Jacket

Taken from bizarre cases of real patients, Playing Sick? is the first book to chronicle the devastating impact of phony illnesses—factitious disorders and Munchausen syndrome—on patients and caregivers alike. Based on years of research and clinical practice, Playing Sick? provides the clues that can help practitioners and family members recognize these disorders, avoid invasive procedures, and sort out the motives that drive people to hurt themselves and deceive others. With insight and years of hands-on experience, Feldman shows how to get these emotionally ill patients the psychiatric help they need.

Dying for attention Disease or deception? an overview of the issues Pseudologia fantastica: lies larger than life Invading the body: the enemy within Feverish ploys Out of control: when the ruse becomes real False accusations and the girl who cried "wolf" Drawing back the curtains: the motives behind the madness Mental masquerades Munchausen by proxy: when factitious disorder becomes abuse Munchausen by proxy II: after detection Cyber-deception: virtual factitious disorder and Munchausen by internet People who care: the casualties of deception Conscience, ethics, and the law Detection and diagnosis Healing: intervention and treatment. Taken from bizarre cases of real patients, Playing Sick? is the first book to chronicle the devastating impact of phony illnesses--factitious disorders and Munchausen syndrome--on patients and caregivers alike. Based on years of research and clinical practice, Playing Sick? provides the clues that can help practitioners and family members recognize these disorders, avoid invasive procedures, and sort out the motives that drive people to hurt themselves and deceive others. With insight and years of hands-on experience, Feldman shows how to get these emotionally ill patients the psychiatric help they need. (Midwest) Taken from bizarre cases of real patients, "Playing Sick?" is the first book to chronicle the devastating impact of phony illnesses--fictitious disorders and Munchausen syndrome--on patients and caregivers alike