The psychology behind people who simulate cancer

On March 20, Hulu presents her original anthology series "The Act", whose first season tells the true story of Dee Dee Blanchard, who convinced her daughter Gypsy Rose Blanchard that she suffered from several diseases and ailments, including a cancer.

When Blanchard 's case was first reported, she had drawn the country' s attention to seemingly endless numbers of reasons (one of them being that the company was not there). the case ended with the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard, arranged by her daughter, who is serving her sentence).

"It was a spectacular case," said Marc Feldman, psychiatrist specializing in the dummy disorders and author of To die to be sick.

Fake disorder is recognized by the American Psychiatric Association, and there are several types of it. The best known is self-imposed dummy disorder, or Munchausen syndrome, in which an individual deliberately misleads others into believing that he is suffering from a serious physical or mental illness. There is also a dummy disorder imposed on another, or Munchausen by proxy, in which one person – often a parent or caregiver – makes a disease in another. In "The Act", Dee Dee Blanchard is presumed to have recourse to Munchausen by proxy because she convinced others that her daughter was seriously ill.

The Blanchard Affair is not the only time a person has felt compelled to make a disease. There are many psychological factors that can make people think that they have a problem as serious as cancer.

Although rare, dummy disorders have been reported around the world. "It is estimated that the factitious disorder itself is present in 1% of people hospitalized in general hospitals," Feldman said. "It's more of a public health problem than anyone else has recognized."

People with Munchausen syndrome will often act to be perceived as a patient, he said. They will make an appointment with the doctor, pretend to be sick or injured, attend therapy groups or talk to their friends about their supposed illness. Feldman, who interviewed dozens of people with Munchausen syndrome for his book, said that patients often spoke of the feeling of being addicted or compelled. These patients have trouble "withstanding the attraction of attention or sympathy," he said.

Munchausen by proxy is often associated with the traits of a martyr, he said. The "guardian" often seeks praise, compassion and sympathy.

For some, feigning illness helps them feel in control. This may seem good for people who do not have a sense of identity, said Feldman, because as a "patient" there are very clear expectations of how to structure his time. This could include spending time in a hospital or clinic or, as Feldman increasingly sees, spending more time in front of a computer learning about treatments for the disease they do not actually have. .

People with a dummy disorder differ from those with health anxiety (more commonly called hypochondria) in that they do not think they are sick. Often, it is the attention and sympathy that these patients receive from others that forces them to lie. "They have found this unfortunate way to meet their needs and they respect it," Feldman said.

He added that people with dummy disorders also tend to have personality disorders, which involve unhealthy thinking and behavior patterns. These are different from mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, although both can be closely related or often misdiagnosed. According to Feldman, a personality disorder "refers to unsuitable methods to try to meet your needs. They have found a way to combat the isolation and lack of empathy expressed to them. "

Although people with a dummy disorder can pretend any kind of illness, cancer is a common illness. One of the first cases of Feldman in a patient with a dummy disorder was a 35-year-old woman who claimed to have end-stage breast cancer. She was able to obtain effective treatment in mental health.

It is also important to note that a person who simulates cancer does not necessarily have a dummy disorder. Make or exaggerate an illness to evade responsibility or seek gain – whether it is a drug, financial support or a way out of a bad one situation – call simulate, said Feldman.

"The simulation can sometimes happen in a mental health office, but it's not a mental illness," he said. "The simulation is also different in that if you understand something about a person's life like his financial state, you will understand why she would do it."

In recent years, there have been many cases of online fundraising, sometimes thousands of dollars, for illegitimate cancer diagnoses. Take former blogger Belle Gibson, who claimed to have cured her brain cancer with a specific diet, raised funds for a charity (which she then kept) and built her brand of well-being in 2015. It was later revealed that his illness was a scam.

These phenomena are likely to continue because of the ease with which people can emotionally manipulate others, according to Marni Amsellem, a Connecticut-based licensed psychologist.

"People have such reactions against this type of hoax, because it really makes them feel bad," she said. "Everyone is touched by cancer in a certain way."

Even a person who simulates can feel the emotional benefits that come from the attention and attention of others.

"It may sound sick to the outside world, but an attention-seeking component could be at stake," said Amsellem. "Sometimes people find that feeling a lot of worry gets a lot of attention. It's really good to attract the attention of others and it's a way for them to know that they can attract it. "

Treating someone with a dummy disorder can be difficult. Although people living with illness such as Munchausen syndrome may be seeking treatment for an illness they are faking, they may not be seeking help for their mental health problem.

But there are options and treatment is certainly possible. According to the Mayo Clinic, psychotherapy or behavioral therapy is often the first medical method offered to people with a dummy disorder. This type of counseling helps patients change their thinking and behavior.

Feldman suggests a type of addiction treatment for patients, especially those who "often describe the powerful" high "or feeling of exquisite liberation and relief associated with successful deception, to the point that they do not seem not being able to stop, ruining their lives, "he writes in his book.

Drug treatment can help some patients with artificial disorders, he said, adding that "many patients, on their own, have developed and developed" effective "programs for overcoming artificial disorders."

If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 to get the national number. Life line of suicide prevention. You can also send a free text message HOME at 741-741, 24-hour support via Crisis Text Line. Outside the United States, please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database Resource.