ass urance ▁to ▁themselves . ▁M unch aus en ▁synd rome ▁by ▁proxy ▁perpet rat ors , ▁by ▁contrast , ▁are ▁willing ▁to ▁ful fill ▁their ▁need ▁for ▁positive ▁attention ▁by ▁hur ting ▁their ▁own ▁child , ▁thereby ▁assuming ▁the ▁sick ▁role ▁onto ▁their ▁child , ▁by ▁proxy . ▁These ▁pro x ies ▁then ▁gain ▁personal ▁attention ▁and ▁support ▁by ▁taking ▁on ▁this ▁fict it ious ▁" h ero ▁role " ▁and ▁receive ▁positive ▁attention ▁from ▁others , ▁by ▁appearing ▁to ▁care ▁for ▁and ▁save ▁their ▁so - called ▁sick ▁child . ▁They ▁are ▁named ▁after ▁Baron ▁M unch aus en , ▁a ▁literary ▁character ▁based ▁on ▁Hier onym us ▁Karl ▁Friedrich , ▁Frei herr ▁von ▁Mün ch hausen ▁( 1 7 2 0 – 1 7 9 7 ), ▁a ▁German ▁no blem an ▁and ▁well - known ▁story t eller . ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 5 , ▁writer ▁and ▁con ▁artist ▁Rudolf ▁Er ich ▁Ras pe ▁an onym ously ▁published ▁a ▁book ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁fict ional ▁version ▁of ▁" Bar on ▁M unch aus en " ▁tells ▁fant astic ▁and ▁impossible ▁stories ▁about ▁himself , ▁establish ing ▁a ▁popular ▁literary ▁arch et ype ▁of ▁a ▁bomb astic ▁ex agger ator . ▁ ▁Initial ▁description ▁" M unch aus en ▁synd rome " ▁was ▁first ▁described ▁by ▁R . ▁Ash er ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁as ▁when ▁someone ▁invent s ▁or ▁ex agger ates ▁medical ▁sympt oms , ▁sometimes ▁eng aging ▁in ▁self - harm , ▁to ▁gain