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Does this sound like Munchausen?

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Does this sound like Munchausen?

Postby friscodyke » Sat Mar 19, 2016 7:40 am

I have a younger sister who's about 14, and recently her girlfriend freaked out and went to the hospital. Since then my sister is convinced that she's suicidal and need to go not only an hour later. The same happened with self harm, she never started till it became popular. Her girlfriend also was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis and not long after my sister starting complaining that "her joints hurt too" after she saw all the attention her girlfriend was getting. She has displayed this behavior many other times, like just recently when I was diagnosed with dermatillomania. Does this sound like Munchhausen? Or could it possibly just be part of her being a teenager and its something she'll grow out of? She's had a great life and has always been very popular, it's hard for me to believe she needs attention this much.
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Re: Does this sound like Munchausen?

Postby seabreezeblue » Tue Mar 29, 2016 9:43 pm

she sounds like a pretty young and attention seeking teen.
Many children go through a phase like that - where they try and seek caring behaviours from other people.
I'd not call it munchausens just yet - i'd just call it immaturity and she'll hopefully grow out of it fairly soon. There was a girl at my school that did the same stuff and she's now a healthy adult without any major issues and she hasn't really made anything up since she was about 16.

re self harm and not starting until it became popular; (some members may find this next bit triggering.. please read with care)
*TW*
i didn't start until i saw a friend with marks on her arms and got curious.. i didn't understand it at the time but then one day a few months later i was feeling really awful - i didn't have a clue what i was doing really but i had an image of my friends arm in my mind.. i couldn't get it out of my mind in fact. In some kind of dissociative state i cut my arm..

I'm not saying that your sister isn't doing it just to be 'cool' and to draw sympathy to herself.. but i am saying that maybe there's another possibility..
but then.. if she's doing it to be cool, that also means that she has some real issues atm doesn't it..
and she sounds like she could really do with some self esteem building.
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and i'll run round the moon..
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