One of the Real Housewives in Atlanta (who is not actually a wife, but a mistress with a disastrous hair weave) pretended to have cancer. When asked by Bravo TV if it was true that she had cancer, she nodded slightly and put her head down sadly. She mainly put her head down to avoid further questions since it turned out she never had cancer and finally admitted that she had never had cancer. The blogs went crazy with the revelation.
A woman in Tennessee, Keele Maynor, was recently arrested for pretending to have breast cancer for several years. The charges are theft and forgery. She accepted cash donations from co-workers, as well as a total of 194 days of paid leave (these days were donated by her colleagues at the office of the City of Chattanooga where she was employed and were worth approximately $18,000).
Once caught, she resigned in December of 2008 but the charges were not filed until recently. The woman, now 38, claims she did have cancer years ago, but is not sure why she felt the need to lie and accept money and donations from co-workers and cancer support groups. She says she is seeing a therapist in order to try to figure out why she spent five years pretending to have the disease.
We spend so much of our lives trying to proactively stay healthy. We read about preventative care, get annual physicals and heave a sigh of relief when the good results come back. So why on earth would anyone actually pretend to have a serious illness?
Some do it simply for profit. Others have a disorder called Munchausen Syndrome - a mental condition whereby people feign illness in order to gain attention, or money or profit in some other way. The payoff is usually tremendous for the people faking the illness. They get a sympathetic ear, constant attention, gifts, cards, emails, money and the time and energy of medical professionals. An area where this syndrome is growing is the Internet. Support groups for people with hundreds of different diseases and conditions are easily accessible and the payoff is often just as good – and actual - as in real life. People have been sent checks, money orders, clothing and supplies, as well as endless on line hugs, emails, letters and attention.
No dummies are they! People who fake these illnesses are actually quite smart. They are well-read in the areas of their “conditions” and know how to talk the talk. They know how they should sound, feel and look. They use medical terms and go as far as to shave their heads and eyebrows to prove that they are receiving treatment. Even more disturbing – websites abound in helping people fake their diseases. The woman in Tennessee is not alone – instances of faking illness are common. A word of caution when joining forums online and offering support to those undergoing treatment for illness: don’t assume everyone on-line is telling the truth. Guard your wallet, your emotions and your privacy.
I was a member of a very well known parenting board once. A long time member broke the news that her young niece had died and she wanted flowers for the child’s grave. She was given about $200 from concerned members and several days later it emerged that there had never been a child – dead or otherwise. The member left the site immediately (or she may have returned as someone else) but had certainly gained much sympathy, attention and money with her lies. I didn’t donate, and never would under these circumstances, but can somewhat understand how first time or new mothers could be so despicably deceived. It was a hard lesson learned by all.
According to Dr. Marc D Feldman, an expert in factitious illnesses, there are signs on the Internet when someone is faking it:
1. the posts consistently duplicate material in other posts, in books, or on health-related websites;
2. the characteristics of the supposed illness emerge as caricatures;
3. near-fatal bouts of illness alternate with miraculous recoveries;
4. claims are fantastic, contradicted by subsequent posts, or flatly disproved;
5. there are continual dramatic events in the person's life, especially when other group members have become the focus of attention;
6. there is feigned blitheness about crises (e.g., going into septic shock) that will predictably attract immediate attention;
7. others apparently posting on behalf of the individual (e.g., family members, friends) have identical patterns of writing.
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/chronic/faking.html
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Do you know someone who has faked illness for attention or profit? Do you use online forums for certain conditions or illnesses and feel that not everyone may be truthful about their health?
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Add a Comment98 Comments
I just got married 2 months ago, and my new mother-in-law is currently in the ER at the hospital where I work claiming she had a stroke. I went to visit her, and she has NO SYMPTOMS of a real stroke, and it turns out she's been turning everyone's lives upside down for the last 2 days trying to get as much attention from her mom, boyfriend, sons and now me. I'm sure it's not Munchausen because she's definitely not doing a good job of faking her symptoms. But she definitely is starving for attention from any and everyone in her inner circle. What on earth did I marry into??
November 11, 2009 - 2:18pmThis Comment
omg... u sound like me... lol my mother inlaw is always claiming something is wrong with her.. if its not that she cant breath then its she can walk or she sick to her stomache... i could go on but id be here forever... anyway im with her youngest son & he's her baby & its always something to get his attention & have him around... i feel shes a big problem in our lives... the woman has a need for attention mostly from him but she will take it from anyone who is willing to buy into her lies..
January 4, 2010 - 2:29pmThis Comment
same thing is happening to me have been supportn the mothr in law 3yrs doesnt do anytn all day long bc she is sick so she says but spends all day at he mall spending up hes cash i love my husband and would hate to leave him but she has notn in that head shes bin told to work and applies all of a sudden sick again!im tired of this wanna shoot myself,if he buys me something she wants the same thing its like he has 2wifes.shes not sick just wants 2live an easy life for free!!!!!!!!!!
March 11, 2010 - 4:53pmThis Comment
What are the repercussions of the family members of this disease. Once it has been brought out into the open? the cancer, dying of cancer, all the illnesses, trust issues I'm sure, what is recommended for them? How will this effect a girl at 15 in the future?
July 28, 2009 - 11:39amThis Comment
That article is so great! Thanks for sharing it into us. I’ve learned something new.
July 28, 2009 - 3:20amThis Comment
We are a team of four that work for a large fotune 100 company. We have a co-worker who appears to be faking illnesses to get sympathy. After her divorce in 2001, she began having numerous surgeries(shoulders, hand, elbow.,etc, but would never go to the same doctor. When she had the first surgery we all rallied around her, made meals and helped with her teenage daughter. The second surgery, we pretty much did the same thing. But around surgery #3 and certainly after sugery #6, we said enough. She loves to talk about her "ailments" and will shop doctor's until she finds one who is willing to do "tests" on her. The kicker now is that she has told certain people in the office that she has cancer and would be out of work for four days. What she actually had done was a chemical peel and her boyfriend paid for it!! She is completely out of control and the three of us on the team with her have had it!! Just needed to vent!
July 27, 2009 - 1:47pmThis Comment
I have seen this many times. Friends, coworkers and family (which is the worst ESP. If they are poor and haven't left you anything in their will.) it's best to let them be. If they aren't faking it you find out soon enough. We thought one of our aunts was faking it, choking ect. It was very dramatic. I told everyone to stand back. I really thought she was trying to attract attention. 10 minutes later I realized I was wrong. Not everyone is faking illness, but it's better if you figure it out.
January 1, 2011 - 11:39pmThankfully we weren't prosecuted, the good sameritan act protects you from not helping people as well as attempts to help them.
This Comment
Can't blame you for venting! It's unconscionable that someone would feign serious illness just for the attention. Sadly, it sounds like this person needs counseling. It's also difficult to call someone like that to the carpet, but that's probably not worthwhile and would only aggravate an already tenuous workplace relationship for the rest of your team.
Has anyone at work said anything to her about this?
Vent any time!
July 27, 2009 - 4:18pmThis Comment