![]() ![]() That's because pathological liars may lie to their therapist instead of addressing their lying behavior. The best option is psychotherapy, but even that can pose challenges. ![]() Pathological lying is a condition, not a symptom of something else. A pathological liar might have other mental conditions such as depression or anxiety. The lying is not a symptom of other mental illness. Their dishonesty might be the thing people remember most about them. ![]() It often begins when in the teens and continues indefinitely, into all areas of life. Pathological lying usually happens for years. They tell stories that don’t benefit them and might actually hurt them when the truth comes out. But pathological liars don’t have a clear motive. Many people tell small lies to avoid unpleasant consequences, like saying they were late because of traffic instead of admitting that they overslept. For example, they might falsely claim to have received an award or say that still-living family members died. The lies they tell can be outlandish and easily disproved. They then add more lies to back up the original lies. They make up stories that sound real enough that people believe them. Characteristics of Pathological LyingĮxperts look for four main behaviors when trying to figure out if someone is a pathological liar:Įxcessive lying. You can also support them if they decide to get treatment. If someone lies to you a lot, you can learn to spot their lies. Regardless of the reason for lying, it can be upsetting to be lied to. But it's a real and troubling condition. It’s also called “pseudologia fantastica” or “mythomania.” It isn’t listed as an official diagnosis in the psychiatric guidebook called the DSM-V. Psychiatrists have recognized pathological lying for hundreds of years. Also, some people simply lie pathologically but have no other conditions. Other conditions, such as borderline personality disorder, may also lead to frequent lies, but these aren't considered pathological. This behavior can be part of a personality disorder such as antisocial, narcissistic, and histrionic. They often continue the pattern for years. Pathological lying usually starts when a person is in their teens. Other pathological liars will admit that they've been lying only when their lies are proved false. Some people believe the things they say, even when those things are clearly false. It isn’t clear whether pathological liars understand that what they say isn’t true. They may lose jobs and ruin relationships because of their lying. Pathological liars often make up stories, even if that causes them harm. These lies are extensive and elaborate, and the urge to tell them is compulsive. Lying may be used as a tool to achieve a goal.īut pathological lying is often done without any reason and regardless of consequences. When someone tells a lie, there's often a clear reason they do so. Their lies often appear to spring forth without any perceptible motive.Lying is a common behavior in humans. Importantly, he, like Hall, noted that pathological liars do not always seem to have a tangible goal that their lies are tied to. He described a condition he called pseudologia phantastica, which roughly translates to fantastical lying. Delbrück wrote about the woman and four other cases in a book he published in 1891. She was brought in for psychiatric evaluation after using a disguise to pass herself off as a man while attending an educational institution. For instance, one was a woman who traveled through Austria and Switzerland using boastful and imaginative deception to convince people at various times that she was a Spanish royal, a Romanian princess, the affluent friend of a bishop, and an impoverished medical student. He had a handful of patients who exhibited an unusual pattern of pervasive dishonesty. The highly-regarded German psychiatrist, Anton Delbrück, worked at several insane asylums in Europe. He noted that while the lies may start off in the service goals such as attention, thrills, or material gain, pathological liars can, in a sense, lose themselves in their lies and begin to tell lies that offer no obvious incentives.Īcross the Atlantic at the same time, another researcher was tackling the concept of pathological lying. The term he used for this insane tendency to lie was pseudomania.
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