ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how factitious disorder is widely prevalent but remains underdiagnosed and undertreated for a variety of reasons. It presents a list of warning signs that signal the possibility of factitious disorder, such as bodily scars with peculiar shapes that appear within easy reach of the dominant hand. The chapter also discusses tactics physicians can use to confirm their suspicions. Some of Heather's rage does stem from the utter clarity of hindsight. She attributes to professionals knowledge they had not had at the time they treated her mother. She even accuses them of collusion. There is no doubt that careful reviews of medical charts and personal histories can help alert professionals to patients with factitious disorder and its extreme variant, Munchausen syndrome, as well as those who malinger. Factitious disorder (including Munchausen syndrome), MBP, and malingering are not personal characteristics that can be elicited or disconfirmed during an interview.
