What is Munchausen by Proxy called now? Meaning explored in the wake of allegations against the Harris Family
On November 19, popular Australian TikTok users Brock and Allanah Harris, better known as the Harris Family (@the.harris.familyy), found themselves amid controversy. Reports emerged that Allanah had been intentionally offering their one-year-old daughter Daisy a drug called benzodiazepines, which made the infant sleepy and ill, eventually leading to her hospitalization.
The woman claimed her child was suffering from a brain tumor and documented Daisy’s made-up medical struggles on TikTok. She even urged her million followers to help cover medical expenses and started a GoFundMe fundraiser. Reports cite that Allanah purposefully drugging her daughter not only rendered her hospitalized, but the kid had to go through seizures and two brain surgeries.
In the wake of this, speculation arose that Allanah Harris suffers from a condition called Munchausen by Proxy, which is now called factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA). It is a psychiatric disorder where an individual purposefully tries to create illness symptoms in someone under their care, to garner attention or sympathy.
Exploring the meaning of Munchausen by Proxy amid Allanah Harris’ accusation
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSP) is a mental condition in which a person who identifies as a caretaker acts as if the individual under their care has a physical or psychological illness. However, the latter is most often not ill. People suffering from this disease often lie when it comes to a dependent, such as a child, primarily under the age of 6, or even another adult, such as a differently-abled or elderly person.
As per Cleveland Clinic, Factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA) is often a result of severe emotional distress and is done mostly for sympathy and special attention often offered to real patients and their families, rather than financial gain.
FDIA is common in parents, medical professionals, or people with sound medical knowledge, and is more found in women than men. However, the exact number of people affected remains unknown, as the illness often goes undetected.
While the exact cause of Munchausen by Proxy remains a mystery, experts believe it’s a combination of biological, psychological, and emotional factors including abuse or neglect as a child, loss of parents early in life, and more. If and when FDIA is diagnosed, it is often treated using years of psychotherapy. However, it cannot be prevented.
Notably, there can be signs to look out for Munchausen by Proxy, such as if a dependent person in the family, such as a child or an elderly parent often has random, recurring, and complicated cases of hospitalization. If one person often reports illnesses in dependent family members that are not seen by others or even medical experts, it may be a sign of FDIA. Symptoms not matching diagnostic test results or treatment options can also be alarming.
In the USA, FDIA is often regarded as a form of child abuse under the American Professional Society’s Clause on Abuse of Children. As per Cleveland Clinic, 1000 out of 2.5 million child abuse cases per year in the country are related to FDIA.
In brief, looking at the allegations against the Harris Family
Allanah Harris is a family influencer from Australia who portrayed daily stories about her husband Brock and their four children, James, Chase, Ellie, and the youngest, Daisy. Earlier this week, an unnamed whistleblower, seemingly a nurse caring for Daisy, monitoring her social media, discovered what the mother was allegedly doing.
In this regard, the person DMed someone on TikTok by writing:
“Got some Harris family goss for you. So, the mum/dad or mum and dad have drugged Daisy the whole time!”
The screenshot of the text exchange has now gone viral. It further reads:
“Some of the nurses started following her Insta page/TikTok and was like ‘hmm no, she’s spreading false info - she doesn’t have brain tumors and she was never palliative.’ After her last brain surgery which found nothing, the children’s hospital decided to run a toxicology report and it showed that Daisy had a high reading for benzodiazepines which is like Valium, etc.”
The message added how Daisy was currently in the hospital, awake, feeling better, and “sitting up, eating, being a normal 1-year-old,” under the custody of child protective services. They mentioned that all the kids were reportedly taken away from the parents, whose whereabouts reportedly remained unknown.
While Allanah has not addressed the allegations yet, her husband Brock took to Snapchat and issued a public statement denying involvement.
“For what it is worth, I had no idea about what Allanah was doing to Daisy. I pushed for those surgeries because in my heart I thought they would help,” he wrote.
Brock Harris claimed that he had no idea his youngest daughter was being “drugged” by his wife which generated the symptoms. He shared how he was a “good dad” who tried his best to “love and protect my children.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect Daisy the way I should have,” he wrote.
Brock confirmed that the children were under protective custody as the authorities initially thought he was involved with his wife, and called out Allanah as an “absolute monster.” The father of four also apologized to his kids and sent love their way.
The Harris Family's social media handles have since been removed. Moreover, this is not the first time Allanah has been accused of exploiting her kids. Earlier, many of her followers criticized her for the same and alleged that she was doing it for clout/ financial gains.
While Allanah might be facing fraud and premeditated child abuse charges if convicted, Brock’s position remains to be investigated – that is, whether he was oblivious of his wife’s actions or complicit in them.
According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, benzodiazepines refer to anti-anxiety or depression medications often also used to treat insomnia and seizures. They induce sedation and hypnosis and are not recommended for minors.