What is compulsive liar

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All Rights Reserved. What is Pathological Lying? Some common characteristics of pathological lying include: Lying without any benefit or reason — do you notice your friend lying seemingly only for the sake of lying? This is a common trait of pathological lying, and a clear sign that lying has become reflexive and habitual.

Telling lies that are complicated, dramatic, and detailed — though the stories might seem far-fetched, the convincing way they are told in a pathological lie can make them seem believable. The lies may make the person telling them seem like a hero, or a victim — pathological liars sometimes tell lies to gain sympathy or admiration. If you notice someone frequently lying about their health, wealth, or career status, this could be a sign of pathological lying. Start Your Healing Now - just click here.

What Causes Pathological Lying? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder — pathological lying has been found in some people struggling with OCD as a negative coping mechanism, employed to create affiliative relationships with others or to attempt to cover their OCD symptoms. Anxiety Disorders — people struggling with anxiety and fear of rejection may also pathologically lie as a way to try and protect a sensitive psyche.

Antisocial Personality Disorder — people living with this disorder often display pathological lying as a key symptom, and may use lies to gain status or manipulate others.

How to Help a Pathological Liar For adults, pathological lying can be a difficult condition to treat, as lying has often become habitual and automatic. Be supportive, yet firm — it is easy to get frustrated and lose your temper when faced with persistent dishonesty, however this is likely to be counterproductive. Hold your ground, but be kind. Let them know that you support them, but you will not go along with a lie.

Some evidence from suggests that issues affecting the central nervous system may predispose someone to pathological lying. Compulsive lying is also a known trait of some personality disorders, such as antisocial personality disorder.

Trauma or head injuries may also play a role in pathological lying, along with an abnormality in hormone-cortisol ratio. A study of what happens in the brain when you lie found that the more untruths a person tells, the easier and more frequent lying becomes. The results also indicated that self-interest seems to fuel dishonesty. The following are some of the scientifically recognized traits and characteristics of pathological liars.

Along with being made the hero or victim in their stories, pathological liars tend to tell lies that seem to be geared at gaining admiration, sympathy, or acceptance by others. A pathological liar tells lies and stories that fall somewhere between conscious lying and delusion. They sometimes believe their own lies.

Some do it so often that experts believe they may not know the difference between fact and fiction after some time.

Pathological liars also tend to be natural performers. When asked questions, they may speak a lot without ever being specific or answering the question. Most people lie at one time or another. Previous research has suggested that we tell an average of 1. Pathological lies, on the other hand, are told consistently and habitually. They tend to appear pointless and often continuous. It can test the trust in any relationship and make it hard to even have a simple conversation with the person.

Be supportive and kind, but firm. Someone who pathologically lies may have the tendency to first respond with a lie. The person may be driven by an underlying personality disorder, anxiety , or low self-esteem. Facebook Pinterest Twitter Youtube Instagram. W hile being honest typically carries a positive connotation and lying holds a negative one, the result of either action isn't always so clear-cut: Exactly how much truth you reveal and withhold at any moment, and the extent of any lie you might tell affects just where you land on the continuum between helpful and harmful.

When lying becomes a force of habit, however, or the line between truth and falsehood begins to blur, it's likely to fall squarely on the darker edge of that spectrum. That damaging behavior is common in both compulsive and pathological liars—but learning the key differences between the two types can help you better understand a lying person's intent, and more effectively guide your relationship with them.

Related Stories. Experts Referenced. Ramani Durvasula, PhD. Clinical Psychologist. Tags: Relationship Tips.