Pathological Liar: An Overview

What Is Pathological Lying?

Historically, pathological lying has been a revealing feature of an underlying mental illness. However, it is not a hard and fast rule for an individual to portray signs of being a pathological liar and, simultaneously, suffering from a mental disorder. An individual showing signs of pathological lying is the compulsive behavior of an individual to lie about anything and everything, irrespective of whether the lie benefits them or not.

Pathological lying is also referred to as mythomania or pseudologia fantastica. Like many other mental illnesses such as philophobia (fear of love), orthorexia (unhealthy obsession over eating healthy food), and misophonia (a condition in which a sound triggers physical and emotional reactions), pathological lying is not yet added to the diagnostics and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-V). However, people suffering from pathological lying have stated and proven that it is a serious, natural, and complicated condition.

Lying is a common phenomenon; lying to help someone in a problematic situation is considered a white lie, which provides the liar with benefits. Likewise, lying for fun is common, and the person lying again benefits from the lie. But lying without a cause or a reason or even a benefit at the end of the stick and the compulsion or the urge to lie every day or at every opportunity is pathological. Therefore, the individual is termed an individual liar.

The lies constructed by the individual are often intricate and elaborate with details. Most often, lying pathologically does not benefit anyone but can harm the individual. It can procure harm in both the professional and personal lives of individuals. Individuals lying often are aware of them constructing the lies, they might not know the reason behind them doing so, but they feel urged or compelled to do so. The condition's onset ordinarily begins when the individual is in their teens. The lying continues for years, into late adulthood, and continues until it becomes a problem. Certain psychologists also claim that a pathological liar is someone who lies out of habit and uses the term habitual liar.

The initial documented case of pathological lying was in the late 1800s (around 1895-1896) by Anton Delbruck. Although currently widely reported and investigated, it is yet to be considered a disorder as there is no official data present on the said disorder, including an official diagnostic process or treatment criteria.

What Are the Characteristics of a Pathological Liar?

One of the significant characteristic features of pathological lying is the no cause behind lying or a no-benefit yielding lie. Lying when stuck in a problematic situation and pathological lying are two different kinds of lying, one with a reason (including the intention to hurt someone or avoid hurting someone) and one without cause.

When pathological liars lie, they do not worry about the consequences of the thought of them being caught. Instead, they put effort into their lies; the story, intricacy, and complex thought processes are involved in fabricating that lie. The reason behind lying can be constructed as being a habit or an urge, this is an unavoidable urge, and they often, almost always, end up lying.

Characteristic features of a pathological liar are:

• Excessive Lying: The number, onset, and chances of lying are far greater than that of a regular liar. Excessively lying does not just mean lying; it also includes stories and incidents and detailed versions of their lies. Moreover, the web of lies keeps growing as they lie to support or substantiate their lies.

• Lying Without Cause: They don't have an origin or cause. They lie because they have an urge to support something or someone. Their motive is unknown. A characteristic tells a pathological liar.

• Chronic Issue: The onset of pathological lying begins when an individual is in their teens, and they propagate with age progression. It continues for years and is a long-term problem that is not salvaged in a day or two.

• Absence of Other Mental Disorders: A pathological liar may suffer from mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorders, or antisocial disorder, but these may not cause them to lie. Other mental illnesses do not prove to be a causative factor of pathological lying; they are not adjunct to the condition. They simply are there along with the disease.

What Causes an Individual to Become a Pathological Liar?

Everyone lies. Every individual must lie to save oneself or others, to avoid hurting others. A liar is someone who indulges in lying. Different theories have been suggested to support the claim that pathological lying exists because of an underlying cause or condition.

1. Stress disorders.

2. Low-self esteem.

3. Bipolar disorder.

4. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

5. Anger management issues.

6. Substance abuse disorders.

7. Borderline personality disorder.

8. Narcissistic personality disorder.

9. Psychosis.

10. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

11. History of trauma.

12. Factitious disorder.

13. Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy.

14. Antisocial personality disorder.

15. Frontotemporal dementia.

16. Delusions.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Pathological Liar?

Symptoms of lying are pretty much the same even with different lying conditions; however, in the case of pathological lying, the symptoms might take a turn to severity. Some of the signs of pathological lying are:

• Complicated Life- As the individual lies on the urge, the origin of the desire and frequency of lies is not yet disclosed. So with the continuous web of lies, a pathological liar lives a complicated life.

• The False Persona of Oneself- With all the false stories told under the pretense of making one feel better (in the case of low self-esteem individuals), they believe in their lies to the point that they live under a false personality.

• Health Hazards- If an individual continues to lie (including about health), they may make the symptoms sound worse, leading to a false diagnosis, wrong treatment, and a health hazard.

A pathological liar might develop mental illnesses such as derealization disorder as a preventive way to avoid stress or harm (in case of a history of trauma).

What Is the Difference Between a Pathological Liar and a Compulsive Liar?

Psychiatrists and psychologists have a mixed school of thought on pathological and compulsive lying. Some believe there is a difference between pathological and compulsive lying, whereas some psychiatrists believe both are the same or one condition only. There have been reports stating that there is no such thing as compulsive lying. It is still a controversial topic of discussion.

Ordinarily, the terms compulsive and pathological lying are interchanged in everyday conversation. However, there is a significant amount of difference between the two. The most crucial difference being compulsive lying provides an inner gratification to the liar, whereas pathological lying is a mere urge fulfillment without a cause or a result. Pathological liars lie as a way of getting on with the lie (may or may not include a motive or motivation to lie) in contrast to compulsive liars, who lie purely to satisfy themselves as lying feeling right to them and have no cause or reason to lie. Pathological lying is a milder form of manipulation or conning someone.

What Is the Difference Between a White Lie and a Pathological Lie?

Lying is nothing but a deconstructed truth. But unfortunately, an average human lies at least once a day, and these lies are often termed white lies.

The difference between white lies and pathological lies are:

• White lies are occasional and are often small. At the same time, pathological lies are a frequent and consistent phenomenon consisting of complex stories.

• Pathological lies have no ulterior motive or gains, but a white lie is fabricated with a cause.

• A white lie is often harmless and intends no harm; a pathological liar, on the other hand, is spoken without care about the consequences.

• White lies are often spoken to spare someone or help someone or themselves, whereas a pathological lie is constructed to fulfill the urge.

• An individual might feel guilt or remorse after a white lie, but after a pathological liar lie, all they think is the urge to lie again.

Conclusion:

Pathological lying is when an individual lies continuously or compulsively without a cause, webs up elaborate lies and stories without the prospect of gaining any benefits, and does not resolve the lie by telling the truth. The perspective behind pathological lying is their need to lie. The future result or consequences or how they are perceived if and when the truth unfolds does not bother the individual; only the implication to lie sits in. Therefore, pathological lying does not necessarily hurt an individual.

This behavioral condition is to treat if there is an underlying cause and damage control. The risk of collateral damage is high in the case of pathological lying; however, in the case of mild to moderate conditions, the individual might continue to live relatively everyday life without causing any harm or foul.