Community Munchausen's by Internet (Malingerers, Munchies, Spoonies, etc) - Feigning Illnesses for Attention

[Adventarius]

She actively uses other people, like flying attendants, her physical therapist, restaurant guests and even Santa for her doll mama power larping. She says, she asks for permission to record first, so kudos to her, I guess. It's wild.

 

[PigFarm]

I know im late, I haven't visited this thread in awhile. But Allison's death actually shocked me. She seemed like one of those perpetual self victims that would keep going forever and ever because something in their genetics made them resistant to the self harm that would kill anyone else.

It's like hearing ozzy Osborne died of an OD. You just figure that if they hadn't already died, they'd probably keep going forever

 

[Convallaria majalis]

Friends, I work with teenagers and one of them has been looking online for tips on how to be chronically ill. This kid will not tell me what websites they are and has decided they’re no longer eating and suddenly needs crutches to walk.

Any ideas on what sites it could be? I’ve already warned family about the dry ice trick. Really worried about what this child is going to do next.

 

[The Hoh Rainforest]

Any ideas on what sites it could be? I’ve already warned family about the dry ice trick. Really worried about what this child is going to do next.

Tell the family to cut down her internet, ASAP.

 

[TismFarmer]

Friends, I work with teenagers and one of them has been looking online for tips on how to be chronically ill. This kid will not tell me what websites they are and has decided they’re no longer eating and suddenly needs crutches to walk.

Any ideas on what sites it could be? I’ve already warned family about the dry ice trick. Really worried about what this child is going to do next.

I don't know about the teenagers end, but the Parents need to get on Marc Feldman's website and also immediately read his book 'Dying to be Ill'. Because the sooner they can nip this in the bud, the less damage there will be. Not just physical and psychological damage to the teenager, but psychological and financial damage to the parents, and serious, sometimes fatal damage to the family unit.

Edited to add: The first thing they need to do right from the start is to give absolute minimum of attention to any of these fake medical needs. Absolutely as little as they can get away with without being totally obvious about it. Then, at the same time, a lot of high quality attention when it's to do with anything not to do with medical bullshit. Again as much as absolutely possible without being totally obvious about it.
That might be enough to steer her away from this if its not too intrenched.
also, if they are sure there is no actual medical need, then they should be completely forbidding her to take crutches or visible aids to school. And let the school know that its for attention and theres no medical needs. That way she won't get coddled by staff and allowed to miss P.E. etc.

 

[poopinmy_line]

Dani has been cosplaying as an intellectual again by buying a bunch of cute school supplies and setting up a study space. Then, insanely, shows that she’s listening to a smut audiobook. While pretending to study.

The hashtag paralegel is taking me out

 

[Oracular Slug]

Friends, I work with teenagers and one of them has been looking online for tips on how to be chronically ill. This kid will not tell me what websites they are and has decided they’re no longer eating and suddenly needs crutches to walk.

Any ideas on what sites it could be? I’ve already warned family about the dry ice trick. Really worried about what this child is going to do next.

I hesitate to ask, but dry ice trick?

 

[$m3llycaT9876]

I don't know about the teenagers end, but the Parents need to get on Marc Feldman's website and also immediately read his book 'Dying to be Ill'. Because the sooner they can nip this in the bud, the less damage there will be. Not just physical and psychological damage to the teenager, but psychological and financial damage to the parents, and serious, sometimes fatal damage to the family unit.

Edited to add: The first thing they need to do right from the start is to give absolute minimum of attention to any of these fake medical needs. Absolutely as little as they can get away with without being totally obvious about it. Then, at the same time, a lot of high quality attention when it's to do with anything not to do with medical bullshit. Again as much as absolutely possible without being totally obvious about it.
That might be enough to steer her away from this if its not too intrenched.
also, if they are sure there is no actual medical need, then they should be completely forbidding her to take crutches or visible aids to school. And let the school know that its for attention and theres no medical needs. That way she won't get coddled by staff and allowed to miss P.E. etc.

Digital copy if anyone is interested. He also has one book available on Audible. Really good informative read with cases examples

 

[wimzi]

I hesitate to ask, but dry ice trick?

I assume op is referring to idiots such as this one using dry ice to damage limbs to the point they need to be amputated...

 

[Aunt Carol]

Any ideas on what sites it could be?

Given it's a kid, it's probably not even websites. I'd bet it's a Discord, maybe one they got into after being vetted on social media.

 

[Oracular Slug]

I assume op is referring to idiots such as this one using dry ice to damage limbs to the point they need to be amputated...

Well that's fucking horrifying

 

[George Michael's Freedom]

Digital copy if anyone is interested. He also has one book available on Audible. Really good informative read with cases examples

Marc Feldman came up in this article I was coincidentally reading before coming to check the Farms for the day.

Hopefully, the link will work, The Cut is a for pay site, but I think you get to read 3 articles a month without subscribing.

The true story of someone blowing up their life and others' via digital munchausens as Feldman calls it.

https://www.thecut.com/article/kendra-licari-daughter-cyberbully-mommy-meanest-true-story.html

 

[vlcsr]

Marc Feldman came up in this article I was coincidentally reading before coming to check the Farms for the day.

Hopefully, the link will work, The Cut is a for pay site, but I think you get to read 3 articles a month without subscribing.

The true story of someone blowing up their life and others' via digital munchausens as Feldman calls it.

https://www.thecut.com/article/kendra-licari-daughter-cyberbully-mommy-meanest-true-story.html

Lifetime made a movie about that case starring Lisa Rinna. It was predictably terrible, but also what a batshit insane case.

 

[BunchofMunch]

Well that's fucking horrifying

But also pretty funny, claiming frostbite in fucking Thailand

 

[The Potatomatic 2000]

Just something weird I've noticed; more and more lifestyle girlies say they have "cortisol imbalance".
Did the new fake, girlie illness patch just drop?

Like ma'am, I just wanted to learn how to make a new kind of salad dressing, I don't care how this will totally fix your cortisol.

Is this the new PCOS, insulin resistance, and gut health?

 

[Potato Burrito]

Hopefully, the link will work, The Cut is a for pay site, but I think you get to read 3 articles a month without subscribing.

Skip all dat with archive.ph.

Here: https://archive.ph/VeW97

 

[wimzi]

Just something weird I've noticed; more and more lifestyle girlies say they have "cortisol imbalance".
Did the new fake, girlie illness patch just drop?

Like ma'am, I just wanted to learn how to make a new kind of salad dressing, I don't care how this will totally fix your cortisol.

Is this the new PCOS, insulin resistance, and gut health?

I feel like I've mostly seen this in the same pesudoscientific way people talk about dopamine and serotonin, where there's some truth to it but it's been passed through so many games of telephone to sell essential oils it loses all meaning. Like I'm sure the munchie girlies will latch onto it as well, but I've mostly seen it from MLM girlies like "This salt bath is balancing my cortisol levels This fresh fun salad gives me soooo much dopamine to make " rather than specific woe is me cortisol syndrome. Or occasionally "My AuDHD brain lacks the dopamine to do that boring task My cortisol levels are soooo high I need to go regulate "

 

[Dharma bump]

I don't know about dry ice, but I have seen young people give themselves horrific injuries with salt and ice.

The young people I work with are fans of The Mighty and its forums which I haven't looked at because they require an an account and because I am old and assume they are similar to the old livejournal groups around self harm and chronic illness - full of kids competing for notice and validation in exceedingly harmful ways.

Foster insight. Remind them of what already makes them special and interesting. Encourage goal oriented behaviour around off-line hobbies. Pray.

 

[Dragged Into Sunlight]

Whoa, just saw that Chelsea died from dehydration and malnutrition? Not going to lie, that's kind of impressive. To starve yourself to death in service of your LARP takes some dedication. How the fuck does your family not step in and smack you and tell you to stop being so dramatic.

 

[blue gopher snakes]

“Cortisol imbalance” sounds fancier than “I am on stimulants for adult-diagnosed ADHD, I drink aggressive amounts of caffeine to stay a skinny legend, and I had generalized anxiety disorder BEFORE adding all the uppers. My heart rate is faster than a hummingbird’s wings but look at how my clavicle pops in my fridge restock reel!”