Pretending to Be Ill or Injured for Attention

[Cbsteffen]

Did there ever come a time when you didn't feel you were getting enough or any attention? If so, did you pretend something bad happened to you? In cartoons, young characters would pretend to feel ill or break a bone to get more attention. I remember in an episode of Rugrats, Angelica felt as if she hadn't been getting any attention when she stayed at her Uncle Stu and Aunt Didi's house while her (Angelica's) parents went kayaking. Everyone else was too busy to do anything with her. After Lou and Tommy fell asleep, Angelica flipped the channel on TV and found a soap opera about a lady with a broken leg who asked a man favors, and he did her all of them, so Angelica pretended to break her leg for more attention, and it worked because the doctor at the hospital confused Pickles with Peaches.

[camellia0]

It would be horrible if an adult pretended to be ill.  When we think of things, we attract them to ourself. So if someone faked an illness, they are calling illnesses to themselves. No one needs attention that bad.

[aggie49]

why would any one want to pretend that is just wrong

[Cbsteffen]

why would any one want to pretend that is just wrong

Kids do things like that all the time.

[sanglee]

often times in grade school i would pretend to be sick to avoid going to school

[reiddb]

I know people who do that....I don't think they actually intentionally do it for that reason, but their life as a whole proves that if they aren't the center of attention, they do something to get it back....pathetic, really....

[paynesponies]

I would never do that but I had an ex that did. That is why he is an ex.   lol   

[jkhanson]

My dad seeks attention and will have the same ailments/symptoms of other people on occassion.

It is frustrating to us because someday he may have a real ailment and not be taken seriously.

[countrygirl12]

No.  I am an adult.  Not a spoiled brat.

[lvstephanie]

Kids tend to do this more, mostly because they haven't really learned about "crying wolf" yet. But when adults do it, it is usually due to Munchhausen Syndrome, which is more of a mental disorder. When my mother was working as an audiologist, she would sometimes perform tests to ensure that the person wasn't faking. One of those tests was given while she was instructing the patient what to expect when she "tested" them; if the results from this test were different than the results from the same test given after she had instructed the patient, then she knew the patient was just faking the 2nd test.

[Cbsteffen]

often times in grade school i would pretend to be sick to avoid going to school

This discussion isn't about skipping school. It's about feeling ignored and pretending to not feel all right to get more attention.

[UGetPaid]

As has been said in multiple replies, I've seen this a number of times with children and I think it is pretty common.  But when it happens in adults I find it to be very disturbing.  I recall a few different news stories over the past 15 or 20 years where an adult has falsely reported cancer in order to get sympathy and attention (and in one or two cases - MONEY). I'm not sure how that is supposed to go undiscovered!

[makeblessed]

No, I do not want to do that because I feel by pretending that something happened to me I may actually bring it into my life and to pretend just to get attention,I am not feeling that! why ?

[blessedwith3boys]

No, I don't pretend to be sick or ill. Sometimes kids will to try to get out of school, out of chores, etc.