“Sickened: The Memoir of a Munchausen by Proxy Childhood,” tells the chilling tale of a child who was the victim of a form of child abuse called Munchausen syndrome. Munchausen syndrome is similar to hypochondria, where a person exaggerates symptoms of a disease or believes that they have a disease that they really do not. Munchausen syndrome is where the person makes another person appear to be sicker than he or she really is. The most common form of the disease takes place between a mother and a daughter, as was the case in this true story.
The family drifts from place to place trying to find somewhere to settle down. All the while, her mother does things to make Julie sick and to appear sick. She spends her days in and out of the hospital for x-rays, check-ups and a continually evolving array of medication. She even undergoes surgery several times when there is actually nothing wrong. All the while, Julie’s mother insists that she has medical conditions. The mother deals with any doctor who challenges her opinion severely.
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"Sickened: A Review".
In addition to being subjected to unnecessary medical treatments that were cruel and dangerous if not needed, she was also beaten, starved, poked, and prodded. Julie did not have a normal childhood. She spent much of her time in the waiting rooms of doctor’s offices. Julie tells the story of what went on inside, as she lived here bizarre life. Julie thought of herself as sick, convinced that she had all the diseases that her mother concocted. Her mother repeatedly told her that she had these diseases.
Chapter 1 begins with a trip to the doctor’s office where her mother insists that Julie has a heart problem. When the doctor doubts her, the mother becomes hostile and threatens to sue the physician. The mother was so convincing that she got her way, even when medical tests were negative. The mother went to great lengths to make certain that she got the diagnosis for Julie that she wanted. The mother drug Julie from doctor to doctor. The book follows Julie through her long parade through physician after physician and test after test.
The story begins at age twelve and follows her through adulthood. Julie was willing to do as her mother wished, not only because her mother could be very intimidating, but also because she had a strong wish to do anything to make her mother happy. She knows that there is nothing wrong with her, but she goes along with her mother’s schemes anyway. Her father beats her severely; all the while, her mother is playing her own game. Julie’s mother would make up stories so that her father would beat her for things that she did not do. In the end, Julie realizes that her life is in danger and she has to do something before it is too late.
Julie missed school more than she went due to the doctor’s visits and tests. When she did go to school, she was too tired to concentrate. Her mother kept her on a special diet, feeding her all the things that doctors said she could not have. Her siblings were aware of what was happening and encouraged her to fight back, but she could not because she did not want to hurt her mother. In the end, she decides to leave and prosecute her mother because her mother has adopted several more children and is beginning the same treatment with them.
Perhaps the most shocking story that Julie recounts is when her mother convinces a cardiologist that she has a heart condition. She is denied solid food and only allowed to have nutritional supplements as much as possible to make her appear as sickly as possible. In the hospital, Julie was thrilled at the solid food and did not want to go home. She later finds out that she is scheduled for a heart procedure. She fights the nurse and tries to tell her that her mother is making up the symptoms, but the nurse does not believe her. She has to undergo the procedure for a condition that she did not have.
All throughout the story Julie is met with disbelief when she tries to tell others about her mother’s condition and treatment of her. The family takes in elderly veterans and many foster children just for the money. All of them are locked in their rooms by day and abused continually. Julie’s mother and father even set fire to the trailer home for the insurance money. When Julie discovers that her mother’s illness has a name, she has a brief nervous breakdown.
The author’s purpose in writing the book was twofold. She worked through her own emotional trauma through writing the book. However, her larger purpose was to bring awareness about Munchausen syndrome and the hidden abuse that it creates. By bringing awareness, she hopes to help others who may be suffering at the hands of the syndrome. She wants to bring awareness to create channels for other victims to get the help that they need, instead of being treated as if they were fabricating the entire story.
This book packs a heavy emotional impact on the reader as they hear of the horrors that Julie faced. It evokes strong anger towards the mother and the father that could do such a thing. However, it is also important to remember that this book is written in first person. The reader only views the events that took place from the author’s perspective. Every player in the story had a different perspective and would have seen the events differently. The reader only gets to see Julie’s perspective, and much of the story recounts the feelings and experiences from the viewpoint of a teenage girl. This perspective does not invalidate the story, but the reader must not become so engaged in the story that they forget to consider other viewpoints as well. Regardless of the accuracy of the viewpoint, this book is one that leaves the reader in shock. It is one that will be difficult to forget for a long time.
- Gregory, J. (2003) “Sickened: The Memoir of a Munchausen by Proxy Childhood.” (New York, New York: Bantam Books).
