What Is Compulsive Lying?
When a person develops a habit of lying in early childhood mainly because of the surrounding environment, and that habit continues over a lifetime is called compulsive lying. Compulsive lying was first described by a German physician Dr. Delbruck, who termed this behavior ‘pseudologia phantastica’. It has been noted that these individuals lie about everything, small or big, and this is done because speaking up the truth is awkward and uncomfortable for them; lying feels appropriate to these individuals.
This habit is considered to develop during childhood in an environment where lying is either a necessity or a routine. Compulsive lying becomes an automotive response over the years and is hard to break, so the lies told by these people are not analyzed or planned and are easy to find out; another factor that makes the lie obvious is their actions that present typical lying behaviors like not making eye contact, shivering voice, sweating. As they do not have any motive to lie, they confront easily when caught lying, but it does not stop them from lying; further, it is the habit that continues.
What Are the Causes of Compulsive Lying?
Occasionally lying behaviors can be associated with mental disorders like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder, another school of thought suggests compulsive lying is a result of excessive white matter present in the brain, which is responsible for the functions like speech and thinking; however, the exact cause of compulsive lying is still unknown, It is still certain if compulsive lying should be considered a disorder as in many instances it is presented as a symptom of the underlying conditions, mental disorders.
What Are the Symptoms of Compulsive Lying?
Many people lie at some other instance in their lifetime, but compulsive liars and pathological liars tend to lie more often regardless of any benefits or motives.
Following Are the Commonly Noted Traits Seen Among the Habitual Liars:
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Lies are believable and sometimes have truthful elements. For example, a person who had a fall and bruised his leg might tell he had a fall and fractured his leg here having a fall is a truthful element associated with the lie of a fractured leg.
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Lies continue for an extended period of time and do not have any hidden motives or gain.
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Lies are sometimes told to get attention or be in a positive light.
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To lie has an internal motivation rather than any external benefit.
What Are the Mental Disorders Associated With Compulsive Lying?
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Bipolar disorder.
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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
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Impulse control issues.
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Substance dependency.
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Borderline personality disorder.
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Narcissistic personality disorder.
What are the Differences Between Compulsive Liars And Pathological Liars?
Pathological and compulsive lying can be misunderstood to be the same, but the major differentiating aspect they have is the external gain; compulsive liars lie out of habit without any external gains, whereas pathological liars lie instantly, without complete awareness under the pressure of the situation to safeguard themselves or to gain benefits.
Compulsive Liars
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Habitual.
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Not cunning.
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Can be easily caught
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May or may not associate with a mental disorder.
Pathological Liars
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Lying to obtain gain
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Cunning
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Confident lying
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Associated with mental disorders like antisocial personality disorder.
How Do Cope With Compulsive Liars?
Dealing with compulsive liars is difficult as they are reluctant and do not feel guilty about lying; therefore even after being caught repeatedly, they do not give up on lying. Therefore, the only way to cope with such individuals is.
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Avoid them.
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In cases where it is impossible to avoid them, situations can be avoided, like absconding from them once they start lying.
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Compulsive liars should never be told they are at fault, as it is useless to do so.
What Are Diagnostic Tests?
Compulsive liars cannot be diagnosed by any lab test or radiographic imaging like any other disorder, diagnosis of pathological liars can be diagnosed by taking a self-test with a 14-question set which includes questions like I exaggerate when I tell stories to people, My friends or family members have accused me of lying. With a scale of 3 ranging from often to never, this test takes less than 2 minutes to complete, and the results are based on the total score. Unfortunately, the results of these tests are not stored.
How Are Compulsive Liars Treated?
Treating a compulsive liar is not only difficult. Still, it is impossible as these people do not find anything wrong with their behavior, to try such patients can be referred to psychotherapists, but the treatments are ineffective as they start lying even to the therapist and skip appointments or do not seek recommended treatment.
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The first step towards the treatment of compulsive lying is identifying the root cause. It can be a psychosocial issue or a dysfunctional family environment.
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Addressing the root cause may help them to develop honest communication skills.
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Cognitive behavioral therapy helps in understanding new ways of thinking and helps break the habit of compulsive lying.
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Adopting lifestyle changes like meditation, exercising, and good sleep help reduce stress and improve overall mental health.
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Proper treatment with a therapist helps people to understand their problems and causes and can develop new life skills to manage a difficult situation.
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Not only professional therapy but also needs help and support from friends and family members are important for a person to stop the habit of compulsive behavior and to lead a healthier life.
Conclusion:
Compulsive liars are individuals who have developed a habit of lying since early childhood and continue to do so throughout their life. They do not lie with any motive or gain, but the lying continues as they find it awkward and uncomfortable to speak the truth. Compulsive liars do not have any hidden reason and accept they lie if they are caught. Their lies can be easily caught as they present typical symptoms like avoiding eye contact and sweating. The best way to deal with such individuals to prevent ourselves from landing on problems is by avoiding them. Treating this condition is almost impossible as the subject has no guilt or realization that his actions are wrong or can be harmful. Such people can be referred to psychotherapists, but the results and benefits are unpredictable.
