Dissimulation

Dissimulation ( Latin dissimulare "hide") describes in medicine the deliberate downplaying or hiding of symptoms ( symptoms ) in order to be considered healthy. It is the opposite of simulation , in which signs of illness are deliberately and consciously simulated. Both defense mechanisms have one social factor in common, which in the case of the simulation is called disease gain. In the case of dissimulation, the patient mostly tries to maintain his self-image . This is to be distinguished from anosognosia , which denotes the pathological failure to recognize disorders, i.e. H. the patient does not intentionally hide symptoms but does not recognize them.

The conscious acceptance of legal violations in state or Catholic church law is also referred to as dissimulation.

Examples

The reasons are often social in nature. So z. B.

• a child trying to hide a fever so they can go on a school trip,
• a professional driver withholds an epileptic seizure in order not to become unable to work,
• a cook hiding diarrhea in order to be able to work,
• an athlete withholds injuries or illnesses during the pre-start control in order to be able to participate in the competition, etc.

Furthermore, symptoms can be hidden "to save face" or not to be stigmatized :

• Angina pectoris attack on birthday,
• Withholding hallucinations in order not to be considered "crazy",
• Skin changes in AIDS disease.

Other reasons occur in the case of mental illness, so that in the case of a psychosis suicidal intentions can be concealed in order to be discharged from the hospital.

See also

• Simulant
• Aggravation
• I-syntony

literature

• Volker Faust (Ed.) With the collaboration of Walter Fröscher and Günter Hole: Mental Health 141: Simulation - Aggravation - Dissimulation & Co. Liebenau Foundation, Human - Medicine - Economy, Meckenbeuren-Liebenau, Flyer 2018. Psychiatric-neurological information offered by Liebenau Foundation. (Pretense - illness).

Web links

Wiktionary: Dissimulation  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Uwe Henrik Peters : Dictionary of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology . 3. Edition. Urban & Schwarzenberg, Munich 1984, p. 520.
2. ↑ www.Rechtslexikon.net: Dissimulation - Rechtslexikon. Retrieved June 11, 2018 . 
3. ↑ Burkhard Preusche: On dissimulation as an administrative measure. myops - reports from the world of law, CH Beck, Munich, issue 24 (May 2015), p. 43 ff .; Reading sample (p. 43–45) at https://beckassets.blob.core.windows.net/product/readingsample/15211643/myops24_leseprobe_preusche.pdf

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !