Malingering
Malingering is a condition in which a person pretends to have an illness or disability to get some type of external gain. This may include trying to avoid work or get money.
What is going on in the body?
A person who malingers may report many different symptoms. However, these symptoms are made up or greatly exaggerated. Someone showing this behavior
may want to avoid work or school, get drugs or money, or avoid criminal
prosecution. In some cases, this behavior may be considered positive, such as faking an illness when being held hostage in order to escape.
What are the causes and risks of the condition?
Someone who malingers will fake an illness for some type of external gain, such
as money. Those at higher risk are:
those addicted to drugs
those with antisocial personality
disorder, a condition that describes people who lack a properly formed
conscience or sense of guilt when doing something wrong
men, who are more likely to show this behavior than women
|
