Ganser syndrome

Ganser syndrome is based on a person purposely acting as if they are suffering from some kind of illness, whether it be physiological or psychological. Ganser syndrome can often seem like and remind of mental health issues and disorders like for example hallucinogenic illnesses. Seeing as though the patient is not actually ill, just making it seem like they are, one could ask what the end goal they seek by their behavior is.

A person that has ganser syndrome is not seeking to acquire money or other possible benefits for their personal achievement, but because they have a need to be viewed as sick. The individual has a deep desire for sympathy from other people, hence why they act as if they are sick. When someone has ganser syndrome they are willing to go so far in order to be viewed as ill, and often the emotional hardships can be so great that they can be looked at as mentally ill.

Ganser syndrome is rather rare and there is not a lot known about its causes. Periods of great stress or things like substance abuse and injuries to the brain are all some of the potential causes for the syndrome.

In order to help starting treatment psychologists have specially adjusted interviews and tests in order to better understand the patient's position and how to help them. However, like previously mentioned, with rather limited knowledge on the syndrome, it could both be hard to prevent, help and diagnose it. There is no actual physical injury or problem and the mental issue lies not within the area that the patient tries to portray that they are ill from, but rather from what's causing the patient to endeavor the attention-seeking behavior.

References:

Apter, A., Ratzoni, G., Iancu, I., Weizman, R., & Tyano, S. (1993). Case Study: The Ganser Syndrome in Two Adolescent Brothers. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 32(3), 582-584.

Dieguez, S. (2018). Ganser syndrome. Neurologic-Psychiatric Syndromes in Focus-Part II, 42, 1-22.