|
Though the disability issue may be more of a current problem due to the recession, I suspect that the attention-seeking phenomenon has been around since the beginning of time.
But I would think that one thing that has made it 'easier' to fake symptoms/illness is the internet. We all have such easy access to the symptoms and manifestations of different mental illnesses; in theory, you could go to the ER (or to a psychiatrist) and say you are experiencing the whole DSM list of criteria for a given illness. I've read that this is one of the ways in which people who just want the meds have faked ADHD. But how do psychiatrists tell the difference, then, between faking and the real thing when someone says they're experiencing exactly what the criteria states?
I would think that, in some cases, using a lot of jargon could send up red flags? For example, in bipolar disorder, when I've talked to my psychiatrist about my experiences, I don't say 'I have racing thoughts.' Or, 'I get grandiose.' These are technical, psychological terms, not a personal description of what I'm feeling and experiencing. These things also probably manifest themselves in different ways with different people, they're pretty non-specific. I would think if someone really can't describe in their own words, their own idiosyncratic experiences of such things, maybe this could be a sign, not sure.
Just some thoughts. But I do think the internet can play a big role in such things.
|