The Munchausen Diary

Munchausen Diary Forward

I was torn between the need as a writer not jump right into the main plot, and the part of me that wants to get people to really think about the tragic reality of Munchausens by Proxy Syndrome (MBPS). After much reflection, I believe the intent of the piece is best served by a basic synopsis of where the story will go. While the diary is fiction, they are my interpretation of what might be going through the head of a perpetrator of MBPS.

For those who may have missed, MBPS is a mental disorder where caregivers intentionally make those in their care, often young children, sick. They do this to satisfy a need to feel sympathy and attention from others. I've kind of glossed over the full reality of MBPS, of which I hope to give better details on in time. It can be as "harmless" as simple faking a Childs fever, and as deadly as intentionally poisoning a child.

The history of the writer of the diary is tragic. At a young age, she and her family experienced the sudden loss of a sibling, something they never recovered from. There has been an extreme attachment between everyone in the family. The mother of the writer has never let her children go, and has always strived to be seen as the ultimate caregiver. Over time, the writer will push the envelope further and further before becoming a perpetrator of MBPS. She will have many revelations about her past with her mother. Please note, the need to sicken her children will in her mind be very logical, something I want to be clear to point out. This all occurs in the midst of a divorce where there is a belief that her children need to be with her, with total ignorance of the fathers importance. It's critical to keep in mind that the view you are getting of Tom, the father, is extremely biased. His portrayal through the diary iis not accurate.

If ever you feel the need to have some background to clarify situations, or wantnto know what reality is, I would be glad to answer.

This is fiction in the sense that no diary like this exists, but it is based on what someone very close to me went through. I guess I really felt the need to try and put down in writing how someone could do something defying any sense of logic.