Munchausen By Internet: Faking Illness Online

buttercup · Post by **buttercup** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 4:56 am

Wasent really sure where to put this so have gone for chit chat in the hope it wont raise too many heated feelings.

I find it quite facinating that people intentionally would join a forum & pretend they are ill to get attention. Even more bizzarre to me is the play out of symptoms getting worse & leading to say the death of a person. I understand these people are mentally ill but to the members of whatever forum that person / character is real. I have myself recently lost an internet friend to cancer. This was an actual death but it could just as easily been fake for all i knew. We had never met in person.

What do you all think about this subject? Or indeed have you ever thought people might do this online?

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:59 am

Yes BC I'm sure this does happen online. Some people are very lonely and in order to gain sympathy and friendship (even if it is only out of pity), they seem to feel that the only way to achieve that is to pretend to be ill, and quite often terminally.

However, having said that, I personally take people at face value. I am cautious, but at the same time feel, what the hell does it matter if it is true or a fabrication, I would still treat it as true.

If it helps somebody who is lonely, then that is fine in my book, and it matters not. What harm are they doing anyway ?

:-6

Chezzie · Post by **Chezzie** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:27 am

Id like to believe that the people I class as friends online wouldnt stoop so low. Like you say, "how would you ever know", id rather think that my friends wouldnt play me like that and so I believe what they type, good and bad. Since i'll prolly never actually meet them, I dont know what these people would gain from faking illness ect except attention but id give them that anyway..

I suppose those kind of people are everywhere...Its a sad illness and I bet a very lonely one so if I did feed their habit at anytime, at least ill feel good that they wernt feeling lonely whilst they got the attention.

I think the more I think about it, Munchausen by Internet is the best form of Munchausen as at least nobody is actually getting physically harmed where as by proxy they do do physical harm.

Gosh you got me thinking now Buttycup, the FOC'ers are always ill....:wah:

flopstock · Post by **flopstock** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:55 am

It's bad enough that folks embellish what's wrong with them but my favorite are the ones that use it as an excuse for behaving like an ass.... Kind of a 'get out of jail free' card. What's really annoying are the ones that act like asses and then manipulate folks to feel sorry for them.

Myself - when I'm an ass, it's simply because I am being an ass.:p

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:29 am

Chezzie;903244 wrote: Id like to believe that the people I class as friends online wouldnt stoop so low. Like you say, "how would you ever know", id rather think that my friends wouldnt play me like that and so I believe what they type, good and bad. Since i'll prolly never actually meet them, I dont know what these people would gain from faking illness ect except attention but id give them that anyway..

I suppose those kind of people are everywhere...Its a sad illness and I bet a very lonely one so if I did feed their habit at anytime, at least ill feel good that they wernt feeling lonely whilst they got the attention.

I think the more I think about it, Munchausen by Internet is the best form of Munchausen as at least nobody is actually getting physically harmed where as by proxy they do do physical harm.

Gosh you got me thinking now Buttycup, the FOC'ers are always ill....:wah:

Ere Chezzie wezzie !!!! we're not all of us always ill Mrs !!! Just some of us are always ill, and all of us are sometimes ill ----- just get it right, and don't be naughty or I'll set Carol onto you ! Ang on Carol's damaged her ribs ! Oh well I'll set Kay onto you then !...............................Oh wait a minute, Kay's pulled a muscle in her back ! ............... OK I'll set Helen onto you !.........................Oops, Helen's just had an operation !....................Right then, it will have to be Kaz !.................Drat, she's away at her vvvpv for a few days !!! Well I can't cos I'm incapacitated looking after some small grey hairs on the back of my hand !! Oh well, just consider yourself ticked off Madam ! :-5:p:rolleyes:

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 12:37 pm

Ive had :

Bird Flu

Leprocy

Brain Reduction (dried up cells)

Transgender Kidney Donor Recipient

Couldnt Find TV Remote Anxiety Attack

LOVE the sympathy, sympathy is highly underrated.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 3:40 pm

Nomad;903597 wrote: Ive had :

Bird Flu

Leprocy

Brain Reduction (dried up cells)

Transgender Kidney Donor Recipient

Couldnt Find TV Remote Anxiety Attack

LOVE the sympathy, sympathy is highly underrated.

:wah: AFTR reporting, sir, with her notepad.

Attached files

weeder · Post by **weeder** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 4:41 pm

Its difficult for me to believe that anyone would do such a thing. But then, I do know that all things are possible. Most of us here are good hearted, and we yend to think the best of people, so it appalls us.

kayleneaussie · Post by **kayleneaussie** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:35 pm

I think a person who makes up an illness on line must be just plain lonely. I hate being sick or in pain:( But how would you know they are faking the illness anyhow

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:53 pm

buttercup;903162 wrote: Wasent really sure where to put this so have gone for chit chat in the hope it wont raise too many heated feelings.

I find it quite facinating that people intentionally would join a forum & pretend they are ill to get attention. Even more bizzarre to me is the play out of symptoms getting worse & leading to say the death of a person. I understand these people are mentally ill but to the members of whatever forum that person / character is real. I have myself recently lost an internet friend to cancer. This was an actual death but it could just as easily been fake for all i knew. We had never met in person.

What do you all think about this subject? Or indeed have you ever thought people might do this online?

I believe this could also be a sign of schizophrenia...With many schizophrenics they lead secluded lives which may make them more common on the internet...

But as far as I'm concerned the scam artists are the ones that should be paid more attention to...Although they may even be mutually exclusive, but I don't see a problem with this sort of thing other than the insulting of ones own integrity...

People can truly be mind boggling...

Lon · Post by **Lon** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:16 pm

buttercup;903162 wrote: Wasent really sure where to put this so have gone for chit chat in the hope it wont raise too many heated feelings.

I find it quite facinating that people intentionally would join a forum & pretend they are ill to get attention. Even more bizzarre to me is the play out of symptoms getting worse & leading to say the death of a person. I understand these people are mentally ill but to the members of whatever forum that person / character is real. I have myself recently lost an internet friend to cancer. This was an actual death but it could just as easily been fake for all i knew. We had never met in person.

What do you all think about this subject? Or indeed have you ever thought people might do this online?

I am not surprised by anything that I read online. The internet, and Forums in particular allow for those that wish to fantasize and play at being someone else, to do so.