Dying to be Ill: True Stories of Medical Deception

by Marc D. Feldman, Gregory P. Yates

Most of us can recall a time when we pretended to be sick to reap the benefits that go along with illness. By playing sick, we gained sympathy, care, and attention, and were excused from our responsibilities. Though doing so on occasion is considered normal, there are those who carry their deceptions to the extreme. In this book, Dr. Marc Feldman describes people’s strange motivations to fabricate or induce illness or injury to satisfy deep emotional needs. Doctors, family members, and friends are lured into a costly, frustrating, and potentially deadly web of deceit. From the mother who shaves her child’s head and tells her community he has cancer, to the co-worker who suffers from a string of incomprehensible "tragedies," to the false epilepsy victim who monopolizes her online support group, "disease forgery" is ever-present in the media and in many people’s lives. In Dying to be Ill: True Stories of Medical Deception, Dr. Feldman, with the assistance of Gregory Yates, has chronicled this fascinating world as well as the paths to healing. With insight developed from 25 years of hands-on experience, Dying to be Ill is sure to stand as a classic in the field.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Science, Medical, Mental Health, Health, Medicine

294 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 11, 2018

About the author

Dr. Feldman is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. A Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Feldman is an international expert in factitious disorders, including Munchausen Syndrome and Munchausen by Proxy, as well as another form of medical deception known as Malingering. He is the author of five books, more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles, and has appeared as an expert in dozens of television programs, print media, and documentaries throughout the world. He has served as an expert consultant and/or expert witness in cases nationally and internationally.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, did you grow up with a parent with Munchausen's or Munchausen-by-Proxy and want to see your entire childhood abuse validated and clarified in a book? If so, are you me? Also this book will do that for you.

It's basically a billion case studies about people with Munchausen's or MBP, so I don't recommend reading it all in one sitting cuz it can get a little repetitive/overwhelming/infuriating/extremely useful. Plus breakdowns of some of the whys and possible ways to deal with it, none of which are going to fix it, but might help a little?

Things I learned that I didn't know before I read this: 1. People with Munchausen's not only fake illnesses, they actually will cause themselves to actually be ill (for the attn). That is to say - they love themselves nothing more than an open wound/IV and some poop to smear in there to get a good infection. 2. 7000 things my family did are completely textbook, and reading about the enablers (MBP parents often will have a codependent enabler) makes me insanely furious for obvious reasons 3. Every time you think to yourself, no, people/parent/whomever didn't really do XYZ thing because that is too crazy, you're just making it up and blowing it out of proportion, read this book to remind yourself you're not crazy, it did happen, it was not ok. 4. How am I still alive?

Basically what I'm saying is the work Dr. Feldman has done is incredibly important and for all the people out there like me who have survived this sort of fucking horror, I cannot thank him enough.

[Deidre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredible. I learned so much from reading it, and I really admire the author for the level of compassion, empathy and professionalism he maintains while covering this sensitive topic. A must-read for anyone interested in psychology and/or factitious disorders.

[Tammy Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Feldman and Gregory Yates have done an amazing job bringing an understanding to this often misunderstood world of factitious disorder as well as medical child abuse. The book is loaded with unbelievable stories and is written in a way that a person without much medical knowledge can understand. The stories are engaging yet leave you still shaking your head thinking Why? There is a great deal to learn in this book. Great read!

[Willa Scanlon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book because it was mentioned on a podcast and I am so intrigued by munchausens. Unfortunately, I quickly learned it was a medical textbook with figures and sources and such. The case studies were whack so I will def give it that, but I don’t think I would recommend this since it is notably a textbook. Swing and a miss from me

[Rachel Stolz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, the stories of those with this disorder give hope that people can get better.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible! I don't read many non fiction books but in my opinion this is the defenition of what a non ficition book should be.
Every aspect of the subject is explored with great care and detail and it is written very professionaly.
I enjoyed reading this a lot.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Feldman does MBI (Munchausen's by Internet) justice in this piece - displaying through empathy, data and anecdotal experiences (of loved ones, medical professionals, and sufferers) how Munchausen's can impact loved ones, especially online (in support groups, and individual relationships). Leaving no stone unturned, he touches on important side topics, such as the significance of this diagnosis (and misdiagnosis), it's long term implications, how to approach this diagnosis when suspected and even a suspected prevalence of animal Munchausen's by Proxy.

I will admit that I felt conflicted buying this book, because of my strong feelings about sexism, racism and my own experiences in feeling judged while seeking medical care. And that being said? This book could does need some disclaimers and clarifications which is why i gave it 4 stars, instead of 5. However, along side proper training and with the lead of psychiatric care, this book could be an asset in medical care settings.

[Tammy Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Feldman and Gregory Yates have done an amazing job bringing an understanding to this often misunderstood world of factitious disorder as well as medical child abuse. The book is loaded with unbelievable stories and is written in a way that a person without much medical knowledge can understand. The stories are engaging yet leave you still shaking your head thinking Why? There is a great deal to learn in this book. Great read!

[Lynn Darling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very imformative. I love all the different case stories. What a great collection of information!

[Lyz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and engrossing book on factitious disorder. I love how current the information is, especially the chapter on Munchausen's by Internet.

[shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love snooping in people's booklist I find the best stuff I have no use for any of the knowledge I gained from this book but it was so worth the read

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is an academic book. I heard about it on the Nobody Should Believe Me podcast, where Andrea Dunlop interviews Feldman extensively. I was bummed that it wasn't freely available - I had to use my faculty credentials at KSU to get a copy. I think having it in public libraries would expose readers to the concepts and stories in the book. Feldman and coauthors dive into the nuances of factitious disorder, which is generally a compulsion to fake illness. This book may be triggering for some readers (especially the sections on proxy abuse, including that of pets). The many anecdotes illustrate the facets of this disorder and how it interacts with mental health and that of others who are impacted by those who have it.

[Laine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly can't recommend Dr. Feldman's work highly enough. He is the preeminent expert on factitious disorders, and this book tells multiple stories of people who have falsified illness in themselves or others for attention (among other reasons).

If you want to know anything about the phenomena commonly known as Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy, Dr. Feldman should be your #1 source.

[Madelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not expecting to be underwhelmed by this book, however I have read much of the things covered here - including some of the cases - in my own time before picking up the volume. This is a perfectly good book, but those who have already studied the topic a bit may not get as much from it as a novice reader.

[Catie Greene-Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an utterly fascinating look at people making themselves or others ill of falsifying their own illnesses. Had many, many real life stories that shocked and fascinated me. Well worth the read!

[Maxine Sabourin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting subjects and very well picked testimonies. Very complete view of this mental illness. However, I found the structure of the book quite poor, often repeating itself and bouncing back and forth on subjects. Still a good read.

[Erika Nerdypants · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books on facticious disorder and facticious disorder by proxy I have read to date.

[Victoria Bohanan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting stories and facts about illnesses that perplex the medical community.

[Karen Carlson]

h/t Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/barbnativida...
Adding to my collection of medical books.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the info in this book and case studies in this book are also in Playing Sick. Just FYI if you read both.

[Treana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've worked in a clinical psychiatric realm for over a decade, mostly in emergency/crisis psychiatric care. So I saw my fair share of Munchausens and Munchausens by Proxy cases. This book was so well formatted, the case studies were fantastic and it spread the breadth of the disorder. For a clinical book, it's an engaging read.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dying to be Ill is one of the most engaging scholarly works I have read. Filled with true stories of the lengths that factitious disorder patients will go to in order to get their fix, as well as the recountings of the people who become their victims (I use this word deliberately), Dr. Feldman displays the anguish caused by this addiction to medical care. This book may help those who are dealing with someone who displays these traits - who at first seems like a poor unfortunate, cursed with poor health, medical malpractice, or a sick child (even PET!) - but is revealed over time to be faking it, causing pain and disfigurement, even death, to others, and sorrow, loss of money and time, and loss of faith in humanity in others. Do you know someone who is always sick, or whose child has constant medical issues, or whose pets are constantly at the vet or dying? Do you feel in your heart that something isn't quite right but also don't want to be cold-hearted toward someone having such a hard time? This book may help you. It also might enrage you even further.