It’s hard to imagine why someone would pretend to have a terminal illness, but it happens more often than you’d think. From online influencers faking cancer for sympathy to people lying to family and friends about a tragic diagnosis, these cases are baffling and deeply unsettling. While most people would never dream of making up something so extreme, those who do often have deeper psychological reasons driving their behavior.
1. They Have An Undiagnosed Personality Disorder
Some people who fake serious illnesses may be struggling with an undiagnosed personality disorder, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD) or narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). These conditions can lead to extreme attention-seeking behaviors, a deep fear of abandonment, or a distorted sense of reality. In some cases, pretending to be ill is a way to keep people close or ensure they get the attention they crave. The Merck Manual states that people with factitious disorder may have prominent features of borderline personality disorder and are often intelligent and resourceful in simulating diseases.
While not everyone with a personality disorder engages in this kind of deception, those who do may not fully grasp the harm they’re causing. They may see their actions as a necessary survival tactic rather than an outright lie. Without proper treatment or therapy, this behavior can spiral into compulsive dishonesty and manipulation.
2. They Have Issues With Compulsive Lying
Some people lie for convenience, while others do it compulsively, even when there’s no logical reason. Those who fake a terminal illness often fall into the latter category. They don’t just lie occasionally—they weave intricate, long-term deceptions that become part of their identity. The NHS indicates that the tendency to lie about serious illnesses may be caused by parental neglect, abandonment, or other childhood trauma, leading to unresolved issues and a compulsion to punish oneself or seek attention through illness.
Compulsive liars may not always have a clear reason for their lies, but once they start, it’s hard to stop. They often believe their own fabrications to some degree, and over time, the falsehoods pile up. Eventually, maintaining the lie becomes more important than the consequences of being caught.
3. They Think It’s A Way Of Getting Noticed
For some, the fear of being invisible is worse than the shame of being caught in a lie. They crave recognition and attention but feel like they can’t get it through normal means. By pretending to have a serious illness, they suddenly become the center of concern, sympathy, and care. As reported by Better Health Channel, people who fake illness to gain attention and sympathy are often driven by complex psychological reasons including a strong desire for attention.
Faking an illness gives them an identity that guarantees attention. People check in, offer support, and shower them with kindness. The problem? The attention isn’t real—it’s built on deception. But to someone who’s felt ignored for most of their life, even fake sympathy feels better than being overlooked.
4. They Believe Their Own Lies To The Point Of Delusion
Some people don’t just lie—they convince themselves the lie is true. This can happen when someone tells a falsehood so often that they begin to emotionally attach to it. Over time, they might start exhibiting symptoms they don’t actually have, purely out of psychological suggestion. According to the Merck Manual, people who fabricate illnesses may not be fully aware of their deceptive behavior, as their actions are often driven by complex psychological reasons rather than conscious deception.
This is often seen in people with factitious disorders or other mental health conditions. They aren’t just making things up for fun—they genuinely come to believe their own falsehoods. It’s not just lying; it’s self-deception on a deep level.
5. They Only Know How To Use Extreme Methods To Get Attention
Some people never learned healthy ways to ask for love, support, or attention. Instead, they resort to the most extreme tactics possible. Faking a terminal illness is the ultimate “look at me” strategy because it forces people to care.
They may not even realize that their actions are manipulative. To them, it’s just the only way they know how to get what they need. Without proper emotional tools, they go to extremes rather than simply asking for help or expressing their feelings honestly.
6. They Want To Grift People For Money
Not everyone who fakes an illness does it for emotional reasons—some do it for financial gain. With the rise of crowdfunding platforms, it’s easier than ever to set up a fake fundraiser, tug at people’s heartstrings, and collect thousands of dollars in donations.
These individuals see faking an illness as a business strategy rather than a cry for help. They manipulate well-meaning strangers into giving them money, gifts, or free services. While some eventually get caught, many walk away with cash in hand, having exploited the kindness of others.
7. They Use It To Manipulate Or Control People Around Them
Pretending to be sick is a powerful way to control people. It makes it harder for others to say no, set boundaries, or call out bad behavior. After all, who wants to argue with someone who’s supposedly dying?
By weaponizing sympathy, they can guilt-trip friends and family into doing whatever they want. They use their “illness” as a way to avoid consequences, win arguments, or keep people emotionally dependent on them. The worse they claim to be, the more power they hold.
8. They’re Obsessed With The Drama And Emotional Intensity It Creates
Some people thrive on drama. They love the chaos, the concern, and the constant rollercoaster of emotions that come with faking a serious illness. It gives them a sense of importance and keeps life from feeling boring or ordinary.
For these individuals, every doctor’s appointment, hospital stay, or medical scare becomes part of the performance. They bask in the reactions of others, whether it’s sympathy, outrage, or admiration. As long as the drama continues, they feel alive.
9. They’re Desperately Trying To Avoid Obligations
Life comes with responsibilities—work, bills, relationships, and commitments. For some, faking an illness is a way to escape those obligations. It’s an excuse to drop out of school, quit a job, or avoid difficult conversations.
Instead of facing life’s challenges head-on, they create an elaborate excuse to step away. No one questions them because their story is so extreme. And the longer they keep the lie going, the harder it is for anyone to call them out.
10. They Were Starved Of Attention As A Child
Many people who fake illnesses have deep-seated childhood wounds. Maybe they grew up in a home where they were ignored, overlooked, or treated as unimportant. When they discovered that being “sick” made people care, it became a coping mechanism.
Even as adults, they carry that learned behavior with them. If they don’t feel loved or valued, they revert to what worked in the past—getting attention through illness. It’s not an excuse, but it’s often part of the deeper psychological pattern at play.
11. They Want Online Validation From Strangers
Social media has made it easier than ever to get instant validation. Someone can post about their fake illness and receive thousands of likes, comments, and messages of support within minutes.
The internet provides an endless supply of sympathy, and for those who crave constant validation, it’s addictive. They fabricate their struggles because they know it will get them the attention they want without having to form real, meaningful relationships.
12. They Don’t Have An Identity And Need A “Role” To Play
Some people feel lost without a clear sense of identity. Faking an illness gives them a role to play—the brave fighter, the tragic victim, the inspirational survivor. It gives them a narrative to cling to.
Without this role, they feel empty or invisible. Even if they’re caught in their lies, they often just move on to another fabricated story. It’s less about the illness itself and more about needing an identity to hold onto.
13. They Have Münchausen Syndrome Or Factitious Disorder
Some people who fake illnesses aren’t just lying for attention—they have a real psychological disorder that drives their behavior. Münchausen syndrome, also known as factitious disorder, causes a person to deliberately act sick or even harm themselves to receive medical attention and sympathy. It’s not about financial gain; it’s about needing to feel cared for.
People with this disorder may go to extreme lengths, from faking test results to undergoing unnecessary medical procedures. They thrive on the identity of being a “patient” and struggle to function without it. Even when confronted with evidence that they’re lying, they often double down, unable to stop the cycle.
14. They Thrive On Deceiving People
Not every person who fakes an illness does it out of emotional desperation—some do it simply because they enjoy deceiving people. These individuals aren’t necessarily looking for sympathy or financial gain; they just get a thrill from fooling others.
This type of deception is common in pathological liars and those with psychopathic tendencies. They see it as a game, and the more people they can trick, the more satisfaction they get. Unlike those who fake illnesses for attention, these people don’t feel guilty when they’re caught—they just move on to their next lie.
15. They Want To Mend Broken Relationships By Gaining Sympathy
For some, faking an illness is a last-ditch effort to repair relationships that have fallen apart. If someone has been cut off by family, dumped by a partner, or lost friends due to their own actions, claiming to have a terminal illness is a way to force people back into their lives.
The idea is simple: no one wants to turn their back on someone who’s “dying.” By fabricating an illness, they manipulate people into forgiving them, feeling guilty, or rekindling relationships that would have otherwise been left in the past. It’s a cruel tactic, but one that unfortunately works—at least for a while.
16. They Think Being Ill Will Keep People Close
At the core of many cases of illness faking is a deep-seated fear of abandonment. If someone believes that people will only care about them if they’re in crisis, they might see pretending to be sick as the only way to keep their loved ones from leaving.
It’s an incredibly toxic cycle—one that keeps them trapped in their own deception. Instead of forming real, lasting connections, they build relationships based on guilt and obligation. But once the truth comes out, the very thing they feared—losing the people they love—becomes a reality.
