What's all this about Gypsy Rose?
What’s all the noise about Gypsy Rose Blanchard, the subject of a documentary on Lifetime, Discovery and Oxygen, a series on Hulu, and an HBO special? Why so much attention?
For those who have had their head in the sand (maybe on purpose!), Gypsy Rose is a real person, now aged 32, who grew up with and was victimized by her mother Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard who suffered from Munchausen by proxy. Gypsy was able to escape her life being held captive by her mother by having her boyfriend, who she met online, murder her mother. Gypsy was 23 at the time, and was incarcerated until about a month ago. Her ex boyfriend is serving a life sentence.
Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, Gypsy Rose’s mother, was diagnosed with Munchausen by Proxy, which is also known in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM5) as Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (FDIA). FDIA is when a person creates a false narrative about the illness of another person with or without benefitting from outside sources. Oftentimes, people who have this disorder have problems with their sense of self and are attention seeking. When this behavior is imposed on children, it is considered child abuse.
What’s compelling is the human interest around this story. How and why does a person develop Munchausen by proxy? How did Gypsy survive it? And certainly what’s up with the social media frenzy following Gypsy’s life after she escaped such a horrifying experience? Gypsy has an Instagram account @gypsyrose_a_blanchard with as of today 8.3 million followers and has been tagged in almost 60,000 posts. Gypsy’s also on TikTok @gypsyroseblanchard727 with 9.9 million followers.
There is limited research on Factitious Disorder. It is diagnosed in less than 1% of the population. The prevalence of FDIA cases are perpetrated by mothers against children who may have suffered from abuse that led them to feel cared for when seeking medical assistance. This person is likely to have felt rejected by a caregiver, and had trouble connecting in relationships. FDIA is a way for a person to force a positive mother-child connection and recreate painful and traumatic feelings from the past (Kaplan & Sadock, 2015, p 490-1) .
There is a poor prognosis for the perpetrator of FDIA. The person is unlikely to seek or accept help. A licensed mental health clinician could work with such a patient to identify unmet emotional needs stemming from childhood, and underlying psychological disorders. Once those areas are determined, a specific modality like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy may be selected. In addition, a collaborative treatment team would be best for this type of patient to ensure that all are on the same page. Sometimes, legal assistance and guardianship are sought.
For a victim of FDIA, the person would need to be treated for trauma, particularly child emotional and physical abuse. The long term effects of child abuse include higher risk for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, suicidal behaviors, drug use, trouble holding steady employment, risky sexual behavior, and unstable relationships (Kaplan & Sadock, 2015, p 1317). A person can mitigate these risks by seeking out a licensed clinician for psychotherapy, going to a psychiatrist for medication management, having a healthy social life and support, finding a spiritual outlet, and by helping others.
Why the fame for Gypsy Rose? So few people have FDIA. This case is the most publicized in our media history. Overall, Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s experience is a rare one. Most cases go unreported. The abuse she endured is horrific and the exploitation of her life is uncomfortable from an ethical viewpoint. What we can hope is that medical practitioners become more vigilant in order to prevent an escalation like this one from happening again.
If you or someone you know needs help with childhood trauma, self esteem and/or identity issues, please reach out for help. If you suspect that someone you know is suffering from FDIA, call the local authorities to report it as it is child abuse.
Works Cited
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. (2017). American Psychiatric Association.
Sadock, B. J., & Sadock, V. A. (2015). Kaplan & Saddock’s synopsis of psychiatry: Behavioral sciences/clinical psychiatry. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.