Factitious Disorder --in Therapy?

Littlemeinside · 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scorpiosis37

I couldn't agree more. Just within my family, this has happened numerous times. Before I was born, my mom had all kinds of physical symptoms and doctors were unable to find the cause-- so they told her it was all in her head. For years, she would get sicker and sicker and the doctors kept saying it was all psychological. Well, finally, when she got bells palsy and couldn't move her face or her legs, they sent her to a specialist who diagnosed her with advanced MS. Had the doctors taken her seriously and got her on medication years earlier, I wonder if I would have had a "mom."

Now, I'm having an impossible time getting the medical care I need for serious neck problems that have been going on for 4 years. I've been to a handful of doctors, and none of them can figure out exactly what's wrong. My GP has known me for many years and knows that I'm not "faking it." I've never had a mental health condition, I've never complained about any other pains that did not have a clear diagnosis, I refuse to take pain meds because I want to find he source of the problem rather than mask it with meds that could hinder my career performance, etc. I also have other diagnosed medical problems, and have already had surgery twice this year (and I'm only 28). Both of my parents have auto-immune and neurological disorders, and it's not exactly surprising that I have some of the same symptoms. However, the neurologist I got sent to told me that, while I have other "real" diagnoses, the neck pain is "all in my head" because he can't find the source. So, he wrote something in my medical file that basically says I'm a hypochondriac. Well, two days after he sent me home by saying that I'm "fine," I passed out on the sidewalk in the snow in front of my office-- and laid there for who knows how long until someone found me. After that, I was so angry I went online and looked up the doctor-- turns out there are all kinds of complaints filed against him by women saying "he told me my problem was all in my head-- then I ended up in the hospital with a life threatening condition." So, I'd be very, very wary about telling a patient that their problem was "all in their head" just because a doctor couldn't diagnose the problem. I still don't know exactly what is wrong with my neck-- or why tweaking my neck causes me to pass out and go blind temporarily-- and because of this doctor's note in my file, I have a hard time finding other doctors who will take me seriously. So, I continue to live with pain every day, and am very careful about not turning/twisting my neck, lest I pass out again (it also happened in the middle of a yoga class, and a few other times). My T says that I shouldn't have to live like this-- I'm obviously not crazy; my symptoms are obviously real-- but I don't have the time or money to spend going to more doctors who won't take me seriously and won't be able to help me. I'm a professor, so hopefully I won't pass out while I'm teaching a lecture hall full of students!

Did someone ever examine the large bloodvessels in your neck? Perhaps worth looking into based on your symptoms of fainting and the blindness)

Sep 10, 2013, 03:01 AM

I think it happens in these forums too.

blur · Sep 10, 2013, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mickey4333

I know the very first time I experienced depression, I was unaware of actually being depressed. I was a teenager. I went to the doctor's office complaining of hurting all over. Especially in my arms like when I tried to brush my hair. So I moved my arm up and the pain in my arm was so bad that I started to cry. He was smart enough to figure that I was depressed and he sent me upstairs to a psychologist. My brother, one time when he was depressed, loss all feeling in, and was unable to move, his left arm. Anyway, I am not saying that there are not those out there that pretend to get sick for attention but if they do they are most likely mentally ill. But I am also saying that our mind is also capable of doing things to our body.
Just my opinion, Mickey

i had something similar happen in high school. i was experiencing a major depression but had no idea i was actually depressed. i knew my problem, whatever it was, was being triggered by a particular class, so i just told my parents i was sick a lot and missed a ton of school for a year-and-a-half. i did know i wasn't physically sick but i sure didn't want attention; i was just hiding out at home being depressed. my parents dragged me to a few doctors and then figured out it must be psychological and then dragged me to family therapy and a couple of Ts--or they tried to. i was terrified and wouldn't speak to the Ts. fortunately, my depression completely lifted immediately after having a spiritual encounter. even with missing so much school i was able to retake classes and graduate on time with a pretty good gpa.

Sep 10, 2013, 03:35 AM

Interesting. I certainly saw people who exaggerated their mental illness in hospital, most of them young women who obviously had emotional distress but felt they needed to lie to their doctors, then many would complain that the meds wernt working! Well I dont know what they expected if they dont give correct details to their doctors. I just couldnt understand it, but I can understand doctors getting frustrated with it. Hell, I was frustrated watching them!

Trippin2.0 · Sep 10, 2013, 04:17 AM

Honestly I'm not sure what type of responses are being sought on this topic (opinion, discussion, debate, etc) but I've read this entire thread and wanted to share my experience...

After my most intense and longest lasting depressive episode that lasted over a year, I suffered excrutiating pain in my spine. It was completely random and in my case, worse than the 15 hrs of child labour I endured.

I didn't hurt myself, and knew enough about my anatomy to know all muscles were intact and completely fine.

That first bout of spinal cracking horror lasted 3 weeks, I was unable to move for the first 10 days without crying, needed help getting dressed and going to the bathroom. Every movement resulted in feeling like my spine would snap at any moment, there was such an immense amount of pressure it honestly felt like it was cracking.

3 weeks of constant relentless pain, pills didn't help, dr's thought I was nuts or I had hurt myself but didnt know. Yeah right!

Anywhoo, to cut a long story short, its been well over a year now and my spine still cracks, always in the same spot, albeit not as badly as that very first time. The most days I spend crippled with pain now is 3. Dr's still have no answers, one basically said "never heard of it, impossible!" and dismissed me.

What I have noticed though, is that my "Spinal cracking horror" (My official dx don't laugh!

) is directly linked to stress of different types. Basically the bp episodes or bpd *****fits are either present simultaneously with the pain, or followed by the very bad bouts of pain. Normal life, job stress triggers result in managable pain.

I am now very mindful of stressors these last few months, and I believe that this has caused the flares to subside in intensity.

I looked up psychosomatic disorders, but apart from me magically attending therapy (no money, no job, govt T full) and being confirmed as such, I'm going with "Spinal cracking horror"

elliemay · Sep 10, 2013, 04:48 AM

A couple of things that are becoming clearer in the literature is that persons with a history of abuse or trauma are more sensitive to pain or other noxious stimuli.

What might be a gas pain to some is excruciating to others. It illustrates the idea of hypersensitization of the central nervous system - a constant and insidious flight or fight response.

As such, those persons (we) experience a variety of physical symptoms that could perhaps be largely coped with or ignored by those without such history.

In my own history, I never could quite explain why a klonopin could help with the pain of a sinus infection - but it does. Now I know why.

I wish this information would disseminate into the medical community more, BUT, IMO facilities like an ER simply do not want to even deal with mental health issues.

ultramar · Sep 10, 2013, 07:32 PM

The maddening issues of people being told 'it's all in their head' and misdiagnoses are unfortunately all too common and a lot has been researched and written about this. I was more interested in psychological symptoms/issues, which I can't find a lot of about, so was curious what people knew/had heard/experienced of such things.

I think it happens in these forums too.

I think the Internet, being the Internet, can lend itself to this, not least of which because of the anonymity -but really everywhere, i.e. blogosphere, and not just mental health forums.

Curious what happens in therapy, though. Who knows.

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Factitious Disorder --in Therapy?

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