My Support Forums - View Single Post - Factitious Disorder --in Therapy?

ultramar · Sep 07, 2013 at 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1914sierra

We've had people right here say they have created stories, exaggerated stories, outright lied, etc. about their history to their therapists. I am guessing they either don't feel their reality is serious enough to warrant attention maybe so they make things "worse" than their reality? Or perhaps with some it really is the way they have learned in life to get attention? Clearly they have real psychological issues that need to be dealt with. Somehow the fabrications are a symptom of another problem altogether?

That's my feeling, as well. From what I read, it often has to do with a desire to be 'in the sick role', wanting to be rescued, and other issues. As you say, clearly there are psychological issues behind this that lead to the need for exaggeration and fabrication, which would be addressed in therapy. Although I don't know how a therapist (or psychiatrist, etc.) would be able to diagnose a 'factitious disorder' unless the patient were to admit to it somehow. It's very different than doing numerous medical tests, for a presumed medical disorder, only to find that the physical complaint doesn't exist (as such); far more complicated, I would think, with psychological-type complaints.