Childhood Abuse or Neglect

One theory of what causes this mental disorder is a history of abuse, neglect, or abandonment as a child.² A person may have unresolved parental issues because of this trauma. These issues may, in turn, cause the individual to fake being sick.

People may do this because they:

• Need to feel important and be the center of attention
• Have a need to punish themselves by making themselves sick (because they feel unworthy)
• Need to pass responsibility for their welfare and care on to other people

Effects of Childhood Trauma