ABSTRACT
The literature on medical deception focuses on the tangible consequences of the disorder, such as the surgical procedures patients receive under false pretenses. Chapter 4 explores the psychosocial damage to those who have believed the deceptions and unwittingly supported the lies. The cases in Chapter 4 show that, despite the assumption that medical deception is rare, it is much more common than previously recognized. The cases of Allen, whose partner “K” feigned lung disease and leukemia, and Brenda, who has been supporting a member of her congregation with factitious stage 4 cancer, are presented. Surprisingly, it is often upon learning that there are others with similar experiences, and a “name” for the behavior, that victims of FD begin to heal from their own feelings of foolishness. For these victims, therapy may focus on “letting go” of the person who has deceived them, and becoming knowledgeable about FD. Chapter 4 offers an insight into this process through the case of false cancer patient Jinsey and her husband, Jamie. It then progresses onto discussing the forgotten victims of MBP: the fathers, who have their own experiences of guilt and shame when the truth is unveiled. The first-person case of Ray demonstrates the aftermath of learning your child has been the victim of MBP. Finally, there is a discussion of the impact on the professionals who discover that their patients have been lying about their illnesses. The chapter confirms that the healing of unwitting victims cannot begin until the deception is exposed, but, even then, the emotional trauma may persist.
