Hypochondriasis or Illness anxiety disorder
Somatic symptom disorder
Factitious disorder imposed on another AKA Munchausen syndrome by proxy
Conversion disorder
Primary gains
Pain disorder
Secondary gains
Factitious disorder AKA Munchhausen's
Not willful. Multiple physical symptoms—combination of pain, GI, sexual, pseudo-neurological symptoms. Physical symptoms occur as a result of psychological causes.
Willful, it is a form of abuse in which a person fabricates illness for a dependent and puts them through unnecessary medical treatment to receive a perceived personal gain.
The direct external benefits of being sick. Provides relief of anxiety, conflict, and distress (may not have to go to work, relieves pressure to be perfect, fills an internal and sometimes unconscious need).
Not willful. Pain with no organic cause, unrelieved by analgesics. Pain occurs as a means for client to cope w/anxiety. Psychological factors influence onset, severity, exacerbation, & maintenance.
Not willful. Unexplained sensory or motor deficits associated with psychological factors. Deficit occurs as a means for client to cope with anxiety. Typically involves significant functional impairment (blindness, hearing loss, paralysis).
Willful, intentional false or grossly exaggerated symptoms; external incentives as motivation. Client purposely creates false symptoms for personal gain.
The person receives actual or external benefits from others as a result of being sick (people feel sorry for them, do things for them, pay attention to them, expect less of them, etc.)
Willful, falsification of physical or psychologic symptoms without an obvious external incentive; motivation is to assume the sick role. Symptoms can be acute, dramatic, and convincing. Patients often wander from one physician or hospital to another. Cause is unknown, although stress and a severe personality disorder, most often borderline are often implicated.
Not willful. A disease preoccupation or disease phobia. Multiple physical complaints with no organic basis. A transference of mental experiences, states into body symptoms.
