Imagine spending five years in and out of doctors’ surgeries and hospitals because your mom is convinced you have various disorders and diseases. Constantly on medication, or having tests run, with little chance for a normal life.
That’s the reality for one 15-year-old who has been diagnosed with several health conditions since she was 10. All because her mother lied to doctors about her symptoms. The teen recently anonymously reached out to medical professionals online, begging for help.
Concerned doctors advised her she might be dealing with something more serious than she realizes. Many urged her to tell someone. And that’s exactly what she did…
A teen has spent the past 5 years being treated for a range of conditions, all because her mother lied to doctors
Teen girl looking tired and frustrated, holding a tissue, conveying feelings of being sick and exhausted.
After anonymously pleading for help online, her life has now taken a drastic turn
Text message from teen feeling sick and tired of being taken to hospitals due to mom’s exaggerated symptoms.
Alt text: Teen sick and tired of hospital visits for no reason shares her experience of being dragged repeatedly by mom.
Teen sick and tired of hospitals, revealing mom’s false claims about medical conditions and diagnoses.
Teen sick tired of hospital visits reveals mom’s lies about seizures and being dragged to doctors unnecessarily.
Female doctor reviewing medical papers in a hospital room, highlighting concerns about teen being taken for unnecessary hospital visits.
Teen frustrated with frequent hospital visits as mom exaggerates symptoms and drags them to unnecessary appointments.
Alt text: Teen expressing frustration about unnecessary hospital visits and exposing mom’s lies about medicine use.
Teen tired of hospitals reads about cold medicine effects, questions mom’s claims and starts to feel fine on their own.
Teen wrapped in scarf taking cough syrup, showing frustration with frequent hospital visits and mom’s false claims.
Teen expressing frustration about hospital appointments and medication, exposing mom’s lies about health issues.
Teen tired of hospital visits exposes mom’s lies about unexplained bruises and false leukemia claims.
Teen discussing being dragged into hospitals and exposing mom’s lies about health in a heartfelt confession.
Teen expressing frustration about being dragged into hospitals and questioning the truth behind medical symptoms and diagnoses.
Teen frustrated with being dragged to hospitals unnecessarily, exposing mom’s lies about health concerns.
Online doctors had questions and the teen provided some more info
Teen frustrated with being dragged to hospitals, exposing mom’s control and lies about health treatment.
Teen tired of being dragged to hospitals by mom shares experience of false illness claims and mental health challenges.
Text conversation showing advice on contacting doctors privately without a parent, related to teen hospital visits and exposing mom’s lies.
Comment from a physician discussing legal reporting obligations and abuse investigations related to a teen exposed to false hospital visits.
Teen shares struggles with health, hospital visits, and exposing mom’s lies about medical issues and family challenges.
Screenshot of a social media comment from a teen expressing frustration about being forced into hospitals unjustly.
Teen sick and tired of being dragged into hospitals shares experience exposing mom’s lies about health.
Comment discussing concerns about munchausen by proxy and illness anxiety related to a teen being dragged into hospitals for no reason.
Teen shares experience of being taken to hospitals frequently due to mom’s false claims about health issues.
Comment explaining hydroxychloroquine risks, warning teen about irreversible vision damage from long-term use.
Teen sick and tired of hospital visits, exposing mom’s lies about unnecessary medical treatments and medication.
Comment text discussing teen health struggles and mother’s lies about being taken to hospitals unnecessarily.
Teen sick and tired of hospitals, exposing mom’s lies about medical visits and physical health struggles.
Teen expressing frustration about being dragged into hospitals and exposing mom’s lies in a candid online conversation.
The teenager revealed that she’d snuck a note to a nurse “outing” her Münchhausen mom
Teen frustrated with mom’s false hospital visits exposes lies about being sicker than they actually are.
Teen girl with glasses sitting on a hospital bed looking upset while a doctor holds her hand during consultation.
Teen feeling sick and tired of hospital visits due to mom’s lies, doctor probing inconsistencies during appointment.
Teen sick and tired of hospital visits explains being monitored closely by medical staff during diagnosis verification.
Alt text: Teen sick and tired of being dragged into hospitals confronts mom’s lies about their health and medical care.
Two doctors in white coats reviewing patient information on a tablet and clipboard in a hospital hallway.
Teen writing down medications in a journal, expressing frustration about unnecessary hospital visits and exposing mom’s lies.
Teen expressing relief after speaking out about being taken to hospitals unnecessarily by mom.
Munchausen syndrome: Oh yes, I’m the great pretender!
Many of the doctors mentioned Munchausen syndrome when responding to the teen. If you’re not familiar with the term, it is a psychological condition where someone pretends to be ill or deliberately produces symptoms of illness in themselves.
They aren’t faking it to get any practical benefits, like a government subsidy, but rather to entice people to care for them so that they become the center of attention.
The syndrome can manifest in various ways. The person might pretend to have psychological symptoms, like hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t there. Or they might fake physical symptoms like chest pain, headaches, nausea or stomach aches.
The person could even take it a step further and actively make themselves sick, or try to do so. Perhaps they eat something that they know will have an adverse reaction, or they deliberately infect a small cut or wound.
It goes without saying that those with the syndrome can be extremely manipulative.
In the case of the teen, many doctors believed her mom has Munchausen syndrome. This would mean the the 15-year-old possibly has Munchausen syndrome by proxy . This is when the syndrome is imposed on her by someone else, in this situation, her mom.
So what causes Munchausen syndrome? Experts believe it could be the result of various things. Perhaps the person had emotional trauma or illness during childhood, and they were might have been in and out of hospital when they were young.
Others could have a personality disorder that leads to abnormal thinking and behaviour. There are those who act out because they hold a grudge against authority figures or healthcare professionals.
And finally, some of those with Munchausen may have been neglected and/or abandoned by a parent, or suffered other childhood trauma.
People praised the teen for the way she’d handled the situation
Screenshot of an online comment supporting a teen exposing mom’s lies about unnecessary hospital visits.
Screenshot of an online comment praising a teen exposing mom’s lies about unnecessary hospital visits.
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