Munchausen’s Syndrome by Internet (MbI or MBI): Isolated Incidents or a New Disorder?
A disorder of fictitious physical illnesses may require an extension to include a new psychiatric category, according to research now appearing.
Munchausen’s Syndrome is a serious, often unseen, psychiatric disorder, frequently seen in women, where an individual feigns illness to receive medical attention. In their attention-seeking process, the person will cause injuries to themself by ingesting medications or fluids, change medical records, or contaminate medical samples, all to “prove” the validity of their disorders. In the process, they may undergo numerous surgeries, extensive medical testing and endure lengthy stays in hospitals.
There is also a variant of this disorder currently known as Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy, where another individual is subjected to medical abuse. These individuals of MSP are usually children or the partners of the perpetrator. It is not known how frequently medical professionals may be confronted and deceived by the multiple variants of the syndrome. But the internet has provided yet another way to deceive.
In the internet age, perhaps it was destined to happen where a new variant to MSP would be discovered; Munchausen’s Syndrome by the Internet. Known alternatively as MbI, instances that have been researched are…
