Munchausen syndrome is a serious mental condition that can be categorized under psychiatric factitious disorders. It is characterized by a person's eagerness to present him or herself as sick even though there is no truth about it. Getting to know what these Munchausen syndrome cases tell us may allow you to detect certain symptoms and report people who may have it.

The disorder is otherwise referred to as thick chart, hospital addiction or hospital hopper syndrome. The names basically imply that the person concerned is very much interested in returning to the healthcare facility for treatment. They may even go to lengths by volunteering themselves for very risky operations and doing physical harm to themselves.

No matter how odd the behavior may be, you still have to be familiar so you can help out in referring people for treatment. There are certain symptoms that you need to watch out for. If your loved one or friend is so good at making dramatic stories reflecting he or she is ill, it is possible that he or she has the condition.

As for healthcare professionals, clients who have had frequent hospitalizations due to inconsistent symptoms are also candidates. Worsening conditions that have no accurate reason and extensive knowledge about terms used in the medical field are also probable symptoms. Affected people are often found arguing with the staff in the hospital.

In order to diagnose this condition, thorough checking is really required. Healthcare personnel need to go through a checklist of probable causes for the condition. Those who have experienced sexual, emotional or physical abuses; serious illnesses in their childhood times; and witnessing the death of a loved are at risk for the condition.

People having the condition are also marked with very poor self esteem as well as self destructive behavior. Self harming is one of the means they do to get attention from others. A career within the healthcare industry will also explain why they are so well versed about terminologies and types of diseases there are.

It takes a great deal of expertise for a person to be diagnosed with such condition. Medical tests have to be performed to dismiss the possibility that the condition is indeed psychiatric in nature. When diagnoses are made, certain treatment modes can be recommended to control the symptoms. Treatment options would include psychiatric counseling and medications.

It is very important for affected individuals to be treated directly in order to prevent complications. Some of these include injury or death due to the person's tendency to harm him or her self. Loss of organs secondary to risky surgery, financial problems, substance abuse and interpersonal problems may also result if the disorder is not treated earlier.

Some of the Munchausen syndrome cases that made sound in history include that of Marybeth Tinning, William Mcllhoy and Waneta Hoyt. You need to be really strong emotionally to accept the truth of their stories. But then again, they should provide a good wake up call for us to report people who we suspect to have the condition to prevent problems from escalating.