One of the Real Housewives in Atlanta (who is not actually a wife, but a mistress with a disastrous hair weave) pretended to have cancer. When asked by Bravo TV if it was true that she had cancer, she nodded slightly and put her head down sadly. She mainly put her head down to avoid further questions since it turned out she never had cancer and finally admitted that she had never had cancer. The blogs went crazy with the revelation.
A woman in Tennessee, Keele Maynor, was recently arrested for pretending to have breast cancer for several years. The charges are theft and forgery. She accepted cash donations from co-workers, as well as a total of 194 days of paid leave (these days were donated by her colleagues at the office of the City of Chattanooga where she was employed and were worth approximately $18,000).
Once caught, she resigned in December of 2008 but the charges were not filed until recently. The woman, now 38, claims she did have cancer years ago, but is not sure why she felt the need to lie and accept money and donations from co-workers and cancer support groups. She says she is seeing a therapist in order to try to figure out why she spent five years pretending to have the disease.
We spend so much of our lives trying to proactively stay healthy. We read about preventative care, get annual physicals and heave a sigh of relief when the good results come back. So why on earth would anyone actually pretend to have a serious illness?
Some do it simply for profit. Others have a disorder called Munchausen Syndrome - a mental condition whereby people feign illness in order to gain attention, or money or profit in some other way. The payoff is usually tremendous for the people faking the illness. They get a sympathetic ear, constant attention, gifts, cards, emails, money and the time and energy of medical professionals. An area where this syndrome is growing is the Internet. Support groups for people with hundreds of different diseases and conditions are easily accessible and the payoff is often just as good – and actual - as in real life. People have been sent checks, money orders, clothing and supplies, as well as endless on line hugs, emails, letters and attention.
No dummies are they! People who fake these illnesses are actually quite smart. They are well-read in the areas of their “conditions” and know how to talk the talk. They know how they should sound, feel and look. They use medical terms and go as far as to shave their heads and eyebrows to prove that they are receiving treatment. Even more disturbing – websites abound in helping people fake their diseases. The woman in Tennessee is not alone – instances of faking illness are common. A word of caution when joining forums online and offering support to those undergoing treatment for illness: don’t assume everyone on-line is telling the truth. Guard your wallet, your emotions and your privacy.
I was a member of a very well known parenting board once. A long time member broke the news that her young niece had died and she wanted flowers for the child’s grave. She was given about $200 from concerned members and several days later it emerged that there had never been a child – dead or otherwise. The member left the site immediately (or she may have returned as someone else) but had certainly gained much sympathy, attention and money with her lies. I didn’t donate, and never would under these circumstances, but can somewhat understand how first time or new mothers could be so despicably deceived. It was a hard lesson learned by all.
According to Dr. Marc D Feldman, an expert in factitious illnesses, there are signs on the Internet when someone is faking it:
1. the posts consistently duplicate material in other posts, in books, or on health-related websites;
2. the characteristics of the supposed illness emerge as caricatures;
3. near-fatal bouts of illness alternate with miraculous recoveries;
4. claims are fantastic, contradicted by subsequent posts, or flatly disproved;
5. there are continual dramatic events in the person's life, especially when other group members have become the focus of attention;
6. there is feigned blitheness about crises (e.g., going into septic shock) that will predictably attract immediate attention;
7. others apparently posting on behalf of the individual (e.g., family members, friends) have identical patterns of writing.
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/chronic/faking.html
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Do you know someone who has faked illness for attention or profit? Do you use online forums for certain conditions or illnesses and feel that not everyone may be truthful about their health?
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Please join the group on Facebook called....Exposing people who fake illnesses. Right now we are exposing a woman who is faking terminal stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
June 15, 2014 - 2:12pmThis Comment
NEW Television Program to help Family of People who are Faking Illnesses or Trauma
June 8, 2015 - 5:54pmMy name is Blair and I am working on a project about people with Munchausen Syndrome or any kind of factitious disorder.
We are setting up a program which will allow you, your friends and loved ones to get help in an environment with mental health professionals who know how to handle this situation.
If you are interested in hearing more, please contact me as soon as possible.
Blair Franklin
(805) 915-4756
[email protected]
This Comment
I could go on and on about my experiences with my inlaws....my MIL is a very manipulative liar who has also passed down the habit of faking illnesses to get attention and a free pass from school, work, anything. My FIL is a doctor, and also very emotionally unavailable, so I believe this is used as a tool to get his attention and sympathy because medical issues is on the one thing he will pay attention to. The list of faked disorders goes on and on...from thyroid to schizophrenia, food allergies, and now the biggest one is lupus. In many ways it makes them complete outcasts and has ruined my brother in laws life due to the lengths he went to in order to convince everyone he was sick...he dropped out of school and has never had a job due to his bogus mental illnesses and now is 26 years old with no experience in anything and unable to care for himself. His abuse of psych drugs has also given him REAL issues at this point. Thankfull my husband was able to distance himself from the pattern and stop taking all the meds his Mom had him on as a teenager and establish that he is NOT sick. Ugh I could really go on and on....it is sad and infuriating!
June 12, 2014 - 10:43amThis Comment
Yes, can understand u.... I have a friend, who's husband is one big fake! He's gotten in soon much debt & trouble, he has to play the sympathy card now (he's a gambler) to cover up all the debt he's gotten into! He's gone as far as having stents fitted, & now he keeps having pain in his chest! But yet can rant & rave... Then there's the guy who fell & twisted his ankle! He's now claiming everything under the sun, & still not working! We'll not legal anyway! Even gets a brand new car every 3 yrs! Sits & reads up about "his condition" everyday on the internet! Even has a fake limp! But when inside the home is quite normal....... Stinks!
November 14, 2014 - 5:11pmThis Comment
I am sure my step daughter in law is faking cancer. Recently she had shave burns on her eyebrows, two days later razor stubble on her eyebrows and a five o'clock shadow on her head.
The problem is her three young children are being put through hell with her drama. Her husband - I think- is as bad as she is because he is as obsessed with being the hero/caretaker.
She has been obsessed with illnesses of one kind or another since I have known her. She has been caught making up medical tests and results. Since the husband is at least a willing believer I do not know how to help the children?
May 25, 2014 - 9:24pmThis Comment
NEW Television Program to help Family of People who are Faking Illnesses or Trauma
June 8, 2015 - 6:29pmMy name is Blair and I am working on a project about people with Munchausen Syndrome or any kind of factitious disorder.
We are setting up a program which will allow you, your friends and loved ones to get help in an environment with mental health professionals who know how to handle this situation.
If you are interested in hearing more, please contact me as soon as possible.
Blair Franklin
(805) 915-4756
[email protected]
This Comment
NEW Television Program to help Family of People who are Faking Illnesses or Trauma
June 8, 2015 - 6:14pmMy name is Blair and I am working on a project about people with Munchausen Syndrome or any kind of factitious disorder.
We are setting up a program which will allow you, your friends and loved ones to get help in an environment with mental health professionals who know how to handle this situation.
If you are interested in hearing more, please contact me as soon as possible.
Blair Franklin
(805) 915-4756
[email protected]
This Comment
I had someone stay in my house despite my husband's objection who said she has Fibromyalgia, PTSD, and general anxiety disorder. She was applying for Social Security Disability at that time and was living off donations she gets from her website "Miracle for ____" . According to her, a doctor said that she can never work again because the stress will kill her in 5 years. She admitted that other doctors told her otherwise. While in my house, all she did was sit around and facebook. She just sat - sometimes for the whole day. She only got up to go to the bathroom, smoke and drink coffee. Never showed pain,discomfort or any symptoms related to her disorder. She walked 5 miles once and never had the energy drain. I forgot to mention that she sings in a band with my husband . They performs 5sets 45 minutes each, with 15 minutes break. When they come home, my husband is so exhausted (he's the drummer) while she drinks until she's out of what ever alcohol was available. She was never sick when she went to hang out with her friend and she said things to me that made me question her claims. She told me that About.com has symptoms of diseases and "just exaggerate when you are asked". She also used my symptoms in one of her facebook entry. Her famous line, "You have to cry to get sympathy" and "Time to turn the water works"! When confronted, she denied everything. Someone she knows is always ill or dying or just died. Now she says she has Lupus!
April 23, 2013 - 12:02pmI'm taking a lot of pain pills and there are times that I'm not sure if I'm imaging thing, but I just can not get over the feeling that I was taken advantaged of. Does anyone have an opinion? Is she really sick or is taking advantage of people?
She moved out on her own accord. Unfortunately, I still see her when I go to see the band. I can not even be cordial to her, I just do not like her. Please tell me she is really sick so I can get over this!
This Comment
So sorry to hear what you are dealing with. I have a daughter who is faking having ms. She has numerous books about ms and she cannot maintain it for long. One moment she is collapsing on the floor and the next she is up running around the house chasing her two year old to play. The worst of it is she is getting benefits from the government for her so called illness. When someone else shows up illike she immediately gets sicker than they are. I am totally disgusted with the whole affair and want them out of my house.
August 22, 2014 - 11:55amThis Comment
NEW Television Program to help Family of People who are Faking Illnesses or Trauma
June 8, 2015 - 6:30pmMy name is Blair and I am working on a project about people with Munchausen Syndrome or any kind of factitious disorder.
We are setting up a program which will allow you, your friends and loved ones to get help in an environment with mental health professionals who know how to handle this situation.
If you are interested in hearing more, please contact me as soon as possible.
Blair Franklin
(805) 915-4756
[email protected]
This Comment