Why Do I Produce False Symptoms?

Do you intentionally produce false or grossly exaggerated physical or psychological symptoms, motivated by external incentives (e.g., avoiding military duty, avoiding work, obtaining financial compensation, evading criminal prosecution, or obtaining drugs)?

Is there a medicolegal context of presentation (e.g., you are referred by an attorney to the clinician for examination, or you self-refer while litigation or criminal charges are pending)?

Do you show a marked discrepancy between your claimed stress or disability and the objective findings and observations?

Do you show a lack of cooperation during the diagnostic evaluation and in complying with the prescribed treatment regimen?

Do you suffer from antisocial personality disorder?

There is an illness called ‘malingering’ in which a person purposeful produces falsely or grossly exaggerated symptoms (physical or psychological) with the goal of receiving a reward (e.g., insurance settlement, avoidance of punishment, money). Sometimes malingering is easy to detect, but that is not always the case. If the malingerer is more discrete, it may be hard for a doctor to make an accurate diagnosis. Based on your answers, it seems unlikely that you produce false symptoms to obtain external incentives. There may be no need to worry. In case of doubt you can always ask your doctor for more information or advises.

Based on your answers, you may be falsely producing some physical and/or psychological symptoms. While it is unlikely that you are ‘malingering’, you are displaying one or more symptoms that are associated with this behavior. It may be important to discuss this with your doctor. Malingering can be described as the production of false or grossly exaggerated symptoms with the goal to receive a reward. Malingering is not a psychiatric disorder, but it can lead to abuse of the medical system. For example, the person may want to do unnecessary tests and with this he will take precious time away from other patients who really need it.

Unfortunately, you are displaying the symptoms typically seen among individuals who are ‘malingerers’. A malingerer may be falsifying symptoms to obtain a reward, in other cases a patient produces false symptoms because he thinks that the symptoms will arise sometime in the future. It is important to plan a visit to your doctor. Your doctor will conduct a thorough interview to understand if you are malingering or not. In case malingering is suspected, the doctor will try to find out what the reasons are for your behavior. He may also do a psychological evaluation to determine is you have responded honestly to the questions or not.