Dr. Marc Feldman's Munchausen Syndrome, Malingering, Factitious Disorder, Skip to Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Skip to Obtain Books on the Subject, Including Dr. Feldman's New Book for the General Public, PLAYING SICK. Skip to The Munchausen Tales. ... ATTORNEYS ONLY: Click to visit Dr. Feldman's site only for attorneys. ***Dr. Feldman's newest book, PLAYING SICK, is NOW AVAILABLE for order at a big discount. It covers all the topics dealt with on this page. Find it at Amazon.com by searching for "Playing Sick"!*** Dr. Feldman can vouch only for the material in the links below that he has personally written. He appreciates hearing about individuals' experiences with the phenomena discussed on this page, but cannot always respond. His email address is mdf@myself.com. I am a psychiatrist and author from Birmingham, Alabama. MUNCHAUSEN SYNDROME is the most severe and chronic form of my area of specialty, the FACTITIOUS DISORDERS. I am an expert in MALINGERING as well (in which people do the same thing, but for external gain such as narcotics). Factitious disorders are well-recognized among psychiatrists, but they have not received the attentionor advocacy among consumers, families, and professionalsthat have greeted more common ailments such as depression. However, factitious disorders can be every bit as disabling and further public and professional education are vital. People with factitious disorders feign, exaggerate, or actually self-induce illnesses. Their aim? To assume the status of "patient," and thereby to win attention, nurturance, and lenience that they feel unable to obtain in any other way. Unlike individuals who "malinger," people with factitious disorders are not primarily seeking external gains such as disability payments or narcotic drugsthough they may receive them nonetheless. | |
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