For my research paper, I chose the two mental illnesses of hypochondria and Munchausen by proxy. I chose these topics because I have an aunt related by marriage who suffers from hypochondria and Munchausen by proxy because, like hypochondria, it can be used as a way to gain attention or sympathy from others. others. I'll start with hypochondria since it's the condition I'm most familiar with. Hypochondria is defined in the DSM-IV-TR under the heading of somatoform disorders as "the preoccupation related to the fear of having, or the idea that one has, a serious illness based on the misinterpretation by the person of bodily symptoms. This concern about having a disease will persist even after a medical evaluation. In the case of my aunt, who I will call Bertha for the sake of anonymity, she believes she suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS). She has claimed to have it for as long as I can remember, but she shows no symptoms of the disease. One of the symptoms she claims to exhibit is heat intolerance; everything changed when she wanted to go to Israel and her MS was miraculously cured. When my mother twisted her ankle, my aunt Bertha faked a seizure. We could tell it was wrong because Aunt Bertha stopped convulsing long enough to put more food in her mouth. She saw three licensed doctors who all told her she needed psychiatric help because she showed no signs of MS. My Aunt Bertha then found an all-natural doctor who doesn't use modern medications or tests and who confirmed her MS diagnosis. The doctor then prescribed pills to my aunt saying they were the cure for MS that she had created herself. As it stands, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, so it stands to reason that the doctor is playing with my aunt..... . middle of paper ......ition, Description, Demographics, Causes and symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment. (nd). Encyclopedia of children's health: from infancy to adolescence. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from http://www.healthofchildren.com/M/Munchausen-Syndrome.htmlPham, S. (April 7, 2011). Arizona mother accused of poisoning her baby; Maybe Munchausen syndrome by proxy - ABC News. ABCNews.com: Breaking News, Politics, World News, Good Morning America, Exclusive Interviews - ABC News. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from http://abcnews.go.com/Health/arizona-mother-accused-poisoning-baby-munchausen-syndrome-proxy/story?id=13308998Siegel, D. (2009). Munchausen syndrome by proxy: observations from a pediatrician. Families, Systems and Health, 27(1), 113-115. Taylor, S. (2005). Current directions in the treatment of hypochondriasis. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: an international quarterly, 19(3), 1-21.