The name Munchausen originally belonged to a real-life German army captain, Karl Friedrich Hieronymus, Baron von Münchhausen (1720-97). In retirement, this gentleman entertained his friends with preposterous stories, completely deadpan, about his time in the Russian army fighting the Turks.
The tall tales of Baron Munchausen have been popular for more than 200 years, growing taller and more popular over time. Munchausen, the timeless adventurer, crisscrosses the world, visits the moon, and falls through the core of the earth to emerge on the other side. He flies on the back of an eagle, gets swallowed by a large fish, carries horses under his arms, and rides cannon balls through the air, among many other escapades.
“Medicine has suffered from “fads” from time immemorial.”
“The authority of some great leader or teacher is enough to bolster up an error for a generation or more. In fact, much that is today taught is merely the dictum of some one who has never taken the pains to investigate the truth.”
Walker E. Reflex Irritation as a Cause of Disease. JAMA. 1895;XXIV(5):165–166.
“Iatrogenic Munchausen by proxy” is a term that might sound controversial, but it’s actually a way to describe a situation where a person makes someone else sick on purpose, often to get attention or sympathy from others. Here’s a simple way to understand it:
Imagine there’s a person who pretends that someone they’re responsible for, like a child or a vulnerable adult, is sick or has medical problems when they’re actually healthy. They might do things like give them medicine they don’t need or make up symptoms to make it seem like they’re ill. This person might do this because they want to be seen as a caring and devoted caregiver, or because they enjoy the attention and sympathy they get from others when they talk about taking care of a sick loved one.
Now, “Munchausen by proxy” is the official name for this kind of behavior, named after a character from old stories who told exaggerated tales. It’s a serious form of abuse because it involves manipulating someone else’s health for personal gain.
But where does “iatrogenic” come in? Well, “iatrogenic” means something that’s caused by medical treatment. So, “iatrogenic Munchausen by proxy” specifically refers to cases where the caregiver’s actions actually make the person they’re taking care of sick. For example, they might give them a diagnosis du jour followed by unnecessary medication or even make them undergo unnecessary medical procedures.
Now, imagine adding in the internet and social media. With “Munchausen by internet influencer,” it means someone who uses the internet to exaggerate or fabricate medical problems, either for their own attention or to gain sales of products they are promoting, followers and sympathy. This can make the situation even worse because they’re not only manipulating the health of someone they’re responsible for, but they’re also spreading false information to a wider audience online.
So, to sum it up, “iatrogenic Munchausen by proxy” is when someone makes another person sick on purpose through medical means, and “Munchausen by internet influencer” is when they use the internet to spread false information and gain attention for their actions. Both are serious forms of abuse and can have harmful consequences for the victim’s health and well-being.
