Instead of being afraid of the hospital, you can be addicted to it. You may think this is related to hypochondria, but that is not always the case. In some cases of Münchhausen syndrome, the name of hospital addiction, people pretend to be sick just to have the attention of a health care provider. In some cases, they also damage themselves to actually have something.
If you suffer from this syndrome, it is very important to do something about it. Therefore, in this article I will discuss the syndrome and how hypnosis can help in its treatment.
Münchhausen syndrome
Münchhausen syndrome is a mental illness in which a person is addicted to "care." To get his/her fix, the addict may pretend to suffer from something. For example, makeup can be used that can act as a bruise. At first glance it does indeed look like a bruise, but upon closer inspection it is makeup and when removed there is nothing wrong(1).
This is also a problem if the person then reports that another person has done violence to him/her, this can harm others if the health care provider or police officer falls for this. In addition, people have to work for nothing, which sometimes prevents other people who do need care from getting it on time.
In addition, people with this syndrome can do something to themselves to actually have a good reason to go to the hospital. A big cut needs stitches after all.
Even when tests show nothing is wrong, people can suddenly list new symptoms only to be labeled sick anyway.
Münchhausen by proxy syndrome
There is also the Münchhausen by proxy syndrome. In this case, the person uses someone else to satisfy the hospital addiction, both children and adults can be used as pawns in the addict's game(2).
Children
Münchhausen syndrome by proxy is best known as a form of child abuse. A parent then repeatedly claims to the doctor that the child is sick. Often the child then has to tell a pre-rehearsed story or stands behind the doctor gesticulating about what to do or say.
This can create an awful lot of uncertainty for the child, as the child themselves may also think they are sick.
In addition, a parent can also choose to medically neglect the child so that when they go to the doctor there really is something wrong.
Usually the mother is the "perpetrator" in this case.
Adults
One form that is less well known is that in which an adult is used as a pawn by the person suffering from the syndrome. Research shows that most adults used for this purpose do not realize it and thus think that there may indeed be something going on.
Usually, then, the symptoms of illness are induced by poisoning(2b). This is super dangerous!
Also, those with Münchhausen syndrome can additionally have Münchhausen syndrome by proxy.
The cause of Münchhausen's disease
It does not matter whether you are male or female for the risk of getting this syndrome. A wide variety of studies have been conducted about it, and especially women with health knowledge and men who have watered-down contacts with their families are more likely to get this syndrome. Usually this syndrome develops between the 20th and 40th years of life(3).
Like addictions with drugs, it is a way to escape daily life. After all, everyone understands that a sick person cannot work and needs medication. So it is often not for financial reasons that people imitate illnesses, but to just not be responsible for a while.
You also have an increased risk of getting this syndrome with disrupted family relationships, neglect and abuse. A history of often being really sick can also develop this syndrome.
A person suffering from this often finds it important to be in control and either has very high self-confidence or very low self-confidence. Depression and anxiety are also more common in people with this syndrome.
Münchhausen syndrome treatment
Münchhausen's disease is often a chronic illness that is difficult to treat. Usually people suffering from it leave the health care provider before the provider can confront them with it, only to move on to another health care provider.
Dealing with dealing with emotions is especially important in treatment for people with this disease. For example, it is important to show understanding of how this disease has developed and then give them tools on how to handle emotions even more for control and self-confidence.
Existing treatments for this condition have varying degrees of success. Thus, there is not yet a single way to stop the mimicked disease. Currently, cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy and group therapy are used to treat this disorder.
Treating fake illness with hypnosis
Hypnosis is known to enhance the results of cognitive behavioral therapy. Therefore, if therapy takes place under hypnosis, you can see results faster.
Trace the cause
As with other addictions, it is important to identify the cause of Münchhausen syndrome. Sometimes this can be a childhood trauma, or it may actually have a completely different cause.
During hypnotherapy, you can find out under hypnosis what motivates you to keep going to a doctor without needing to. This can be done, for example, through regression therapy or by examining your beliefs about why the hospital is so great.
Changing the hospital ritual
In addition, addictions and the actions associated with them often consist of ritual. By interrupting or shaking up this ritual, it is possible to stop the vicious cycle of inducing or mimicking an illness or at least doing it less frequently.
In this case, while under hypnosis, you will chart your actions, and thus the ritual. Then the hypnotherapist can have you experience or go through this ritual in a different order so that you are confronted with the strangeness of the ritual and addiction.
Increase self-confidence
It is also important to find out if someone with this syndrome suffers from low self-esteem. If this is the case, a hypnotherapist can help you increase self-confidence.
This can be done, for example, by giving hypnotic suggestions that increase self-confidence and by giving homework in the form of self-hypnosis where you have to repeat these suggestions during self-hypnosis.
Depressed and anxious thoughts or symptoms can also be treated with hypnosis.
How this is treated depends on your own beliefs that are causing the depressive symptoms and anxiety. During therapy, these are identified after which a hypnotherapist can debunk them or give you the tools to overcome these fears and thoughts.
Tools to better manage emotions
Emotions of powerlessness can be a trigger for Münchhausen's disease. Therefore, it is important to give people with this syndrome tools to deal with emotions of powerlessness.
For example, the hypnotherapist can provide techniques to use when you notice that something is not going the way you want it to.
In addition, you can also apply mindfulness meditation at such times to look at the situation more objectively and appreciate its severity. Also, this mindfulness can prevent someone with this syndrome from doing something to themselves or another person just to get that hospital fix again.
Baron of Münchhausen
While researching for this article, I came across another fun fact about the origin of the syndrome's name, which I wanted to share with you anyway.
The disease is named after the Baron of Munchhausen who lived in the 16th century. He did not pretend to be sick, but he told the most fantastic stories about what he had experienced in the Russian army(4).
This is how he says he flew to the moon on a cannon ball.
A fun fact to share at a party sometime. The funniest part is that these stories were published even though he wanted to protect his name and filed lawsuits to prevent his amazing stories from being published and his name from having a negative association. He obviously did not succeed in this.
The syndrome has been given this name since 1951, but it has been written about since biblical times(5).
Want to learn more about hypnosis and how it can help you or others? Then come to a seminar or check out Hypnosis Institute Netherlands' training courses.
Sources:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0379073815004533
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jhm.2268/full
http://www.medicinenet.com/munchausen_syndrome/page2.htm
