What is Compulsive or Pathological Lying
by Kati Morton
Published on Apr 18, 2016
Compulsive lying or pathological lying is not in the DSM anymore (was in the DSM 3) and therefore cannot be diagnosed on it's own. Due to this change, there are many beliefs and arguments about compulsive lying, what it is, and how to treat it.
Here are some of the things I found:
The person who struggles with compulsive lying tells lies that are just believable enough. They may be amazing stories or things they did that made them heroic, but you can't completely say for sure they are lying. It is also important to note that these lies are not due to a delusion. They know they are lying and upon confrontation they will admit that that they were lying. Also, their urge to lie doesn't come from any external force. They feel that they need to lie because their life isn't exciting enough. Lastly, all of the lies or stories they tell will place them in a favorable light.
As for treatment many argue that compulsive lying is part of other personality disorders and should be treated as such. The people who believe it should be it's own diagnosis; CBT or Behavioral Therapy tends to be best. This can help them recognize when the thoughts and urges to lie build up and how to stop them from acting out on that. I hope you found this helpful!
Here are some of the things I found:
The person who struggles with compulsive lying tells lies that are just believable enough. They may be amazing stories or things they did that made them heroic, but you can't completely say for sure they are lying. It is also important to note that these lies are not due to a delusion. They know they are lying and upon confrontation they will admit that that they were lying. Also, their urge to lie doesn't come from any external force. They feel that they need to lie because their life isn't exciting enough. Lastly, all of the lies or stories they tell will place them in a favorable light.
As for treatment many argue that compulsive lying is part of other personality disorders and should be treated as such. The people who believe it should be it's own diagnosis; CBT or Behavioral Therapy tends to be best. This can help them recognize when the thoughts and urges to lie build up and how to stop them from acting out on that. I hope you found this helpful!
