Patient or Pretender: Inside the Strange World of Factitious Disorders

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Summary: A compassionate book about intriguing psychiatric disorders.
Review: Ford and Feldman have written a fascinating exploration of the complexities of factitious disorders, and they display a degree of clinical intuition seldom seen in today's world of high-tech medicine. Rich in anecdotes, this book holds the reader in thrall from the first page. Who could forget Jenny....or Abby...or the Gasoline Injector! Yet make no mistake: the authors do not use tabloid tactics to ensnare the reader. Instead, they teach us a great deal about psychic pain.

On behalf of those who feign illness, they reveal some of the reasons behind the desperate bids for attention. They also expose the frightening, criminal aspects of Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy, a disease often misinterpreted by medical practitioners.

This collaboration reminds this reader of the writings of psychiatrist and best-selling author, Dr. M. Scott Peck. Like Peck, the authors have the humility to admit their mistakes, and at times, they share a bit of sly humor with us. They never lose sight of the dignity of their patients, which affirms their connection to us all.

A book such as this is a remarkable find, as it is written with both scientific and literary expertise. The empathy of these academicians simply cannot be taught in medical school. You would not want to miss this one.

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Summary: Excellent reading and very informative
Review: I would recommend this book to anyone that is trying to understand the strange world of Munchausen. Excellent reviews of cases of this syndrome. Easy to understand and read and keeps the reader interested. You will come away with a better understanding of why these people live in the bizarre world of Munchausen syndrome.

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Summary: Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy: Issues in Diagnosis and Treatm
Review: MSBP is a bogus diagnosis often used when Doctors are worried Mothers may file a malpractice suit, because the medical profession has caused devastating harm to a medically fragile child.
The book is based upon an a false, or non existant speculation; indeed no evidence was ever produced by the founder of this so called disorder. Furthermore, he shredded his creditibility along with his notes.
Let's call child abuse, child abuse, but what about power and control Doctor abuse towards Mothers?

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Summary: Heart Breaking!
Review: This is a wonderful source of information on factitious disorders.I read this book in approximately two days, it was very difficult to put down. It saddened me to read not only about the victims of factitious orders by proxy, but also those who harm themselves due to this disorder. Dr. Feldman gives a very thorough and caring description of these disorders and how it effects not only the families and friends of those who have this disorder, but also gives a look at why those with factitious disorders harm themselves and/or others.