Unraveling Factitious Disorders

This chapter explores the distinctions between factitious disorder and malingering, emphasizing the conscious fabrication of illnesses for psychological gain. Personal clinical experiences are shared to illustrate the complexity of diagnosing these conditions, especially in cases like Munchausen syndrome by proxy. The importance of vigilance among healthcare providers is underscored to recognize and address the manipulative dynamics that can lead to severe harm, both to individuals and their caregivers.