Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy and the Gypsy Rose Case

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a rare psychological disorder that was little heard of until the extreme case of Clauddine ‘Dee Dee’ Blanchard and her daughter – Gypsy Rose Blanchard – came to light.

The mother spent years fooling Gypsy – and others – into thinking she was sick with a number of debilitating illness such as muscular dystrophy and even Leukaemia. As she grew older, Gypsy – who is now 32-years-old – began to plan a way to escape the years of control and deceit imposed by her own mother.

She convinced then-boyfriend Nicolas Godejohn to kill her mum and abuser. Then he savagely stabbed Dee Dee 17 times while she slept. Gypsy Rose served eight-and-a-half years of her 10 year prison sentence for her role in the murder, while Godejohn is serving life without parole.

In light of Gypsy’s recent release from prison and taste of freedom for the first time in her life, we have decided to dig deeper into the unusual illness her slain mum had.

To take a closer look into the seemingly rare, understudied and devastating illness, Daily Star spoke with psychotherapist Alex Iga Golabek, of Ego Therapy, to unpack the complexities of the disorder – and reveal who might be more prone to developing the condition.

What is Munchausen syndrome by proxy?

The psychotherapist explained: “Often described as ‘Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy’, Factitious disorder imposed on another or Fabricated or induced illness (as listed by the NHS).

“The condition involves a parent or caregiver lying about their child being unwell or purposefully making the child ill, for instance manipulating test results to achieve a desired outcome. It is classified as a form of child abuse.”

What causes the disorder?

The disorder can be difficult to comprehend due to the abusive role acted out under the guise of ‘care’, often by the victim’s mother – just like in Gypsy and Dee Dee’s case.

So what makes someone want to meddle with their healthy child and attempt to fool them and others into believing they are sick And doesn’t that go against maternal instinct?

The expert noted: “Although there is a lack of consistently reliable studies to explain this, research shows that perpetrators of Munchhausen by proxy are usually young, female, married and the mother of the victim.

“For the parent, mentally ill (not always), they may wish to keep the child for themselves and not let them have any freedom in the outside world so that the parent can remain fully attached.

“Few studies mention stress and marital problems as a likely cause to development of FII. This could be illustrated by the so-called ‘drama triangle’ that could be also in place which means that the mother could be functioning as a victim in her marriage, simultaneously becoming a perpetrator to her child who then becomes her victim.

“These roles are firmly established and often, it is difficult to overcome them. The victim is powerless in their home environment and therefore entirely reliant on their caregiver.”

According to the official NHS website on Munchausen Syndrome (not by proxy), they shared that several factors could lead to the development of the illness. The website states: Several factors have been identified as possible causes of Munchausen syndrome. These include:

• emotional trauma or illness during childhood – this often resulted in extensive medical attention
• a personality disorder – a mental health condition that causes patterns of abnormal thinking and behaviour
• a grudge against authority figures or healthcare professionals

Why does the ‘caregiver’ act in this way?

Attending endless of hospital appointments for your sick child must be heart-wrenching and emotionally and psychically draining. Not to mention the financial burden this puts on families.

So what makes those with Munchausen syndrome by proxy want to act in this way, what do they ‘achieve’ exactly by putting factitious illnesses upon their child?

Golabek added: “According to research, nearly all abusers are female (97.6%) and the victim’s mother (95.6%). Most are married (75.8%). Perpetrators were frequently reported to be in healthcare-related professions (45.6%), to have had obstetric complications (23.5%), or to have histories of childhood maltreatment (30%).

“Often, there is no evidence to show that the perpetrator has a mental health illness; some lie about their child’s symptoms for financial gain.

“Alternatively, when a mother presents a ‘sick child’ to a doctor, they also receive attention and care because the doctor is likely to show them compassion and interest.”

Who is more likely to get Munchausen by proxy?

The psychotherapist said that there is currently no evidence to support that Munchausen syndrome by proxy is heredity. But, certain types of people are more likely to have Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

As stated above, those more likely to have the disorder are; young, female, married and the mother of the victim. Although, a particular group of men are more likely to have the psychological disorder too.

The NHS website adds: “There appear to be 2 separate groups of people affected by Munchausen syndrome. They are:

• women who are 20 to 40 years of age, often with a background in healthcare
• unmarried white men who are 30 to 50 years of age

“It’s unclear why these two groups tend to be affected by Munchausen syndrome.”

Why is it difficult to diagnose?

Munchausen Syndrome by proxy is thought to be rare, but that is mainly because it is difficult to diagnose and spot. Therefore, there could be more cases of the disorder than thought.

“So far, no effective treatments have been demonstrated through well-conducted studies,” the psychotherapist claims. “And no diagnostic criteria exists. Doctors also have little knowledge about this condition.

“Finally, we expect mothers to care about their children so even when the child’s health status appears inconsistent with the results, so we are more likely to ignore our instincts to diagnose this condition and succumb to our pre-existing belief that the parent is just showing care for their child and fear.

“Doctors are also surrounded by illness and high mortality rates in hospitals so they are more likely to attempt to treat the child (victim)’s symptoms as legitimate to avoid death.”