Dr. Phil

Munchausen Mom (12x21)

Air date: Oct 08, 2013

Tina, 52, says she has Munchausen Syndrome, a serious mental disorder in which someone with a deep need for attention pretends to be sick or gets injured on purpose. She says that for the past two decades, she’s been injecting herself with homegrown bacteria, including fecal matter, causing huge wounds that she keeps infected -- some for up to a year -- in order to receive attention from others. Despite countless hospitalizations and more than 40 surgeries, Tina says she can’t stop hurting herself and currently has a wound that landed her in the hospital for nine days. Tina’s husband, Sam, and daughters, Amy, 19, and Shelby, 18, say Tina’s disorder has taken a huge toll on their family. How can they help her get well? Then, Samantha says for more than 20 years, she got a rush from fooling doctors by faking strokes, seizures and schizophrenia, among other illnesses. She says she was so good at faking seizures, she was once placed in a medically-induced coma for a week. Samantha says she now considers herself to be in remission from Munchausen Syndrome -- but has she replaced it with a risky addiction? Dr. Phil is joined by The Doctors’ recurring co-host Dr. Ian Smith, infectious disease specialist Dr. Joseph Carlisle and psychiatrist Dr. Marc Feldman to discuss this mental illness and the chances of recovery. The following program contains graphic medical images. Viewer discretion is advised.