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Pathological Lying Can Occur with These Mental Disorders

Home > Featured in Mental Health > Pathological Lying Can Occur with These Mental Disorders

By Kristina Robb-Dover

Everyone lies. It’s a part of life, whether for better or for worse. Some people find peace in white lies and don’t feel bad about occasionally avoiding the truth to spare a loved one’s feelings. Others, however, see lying, even major lies, as something completely inconsequential.

Pathological lying goes far beyond the standard lies most people tell. Pathological liars lie about all kinds of things, big and small, for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Individuals with this personality trait may lie about innocuous things, like weekend plans, or larger topics, like past experiences, work, schooling or relationships. This may seem like nothing more than an obnoxious personality trait — and in some cases, it is — but lying to this level can also be a symptom of a larger problem. When narcissistic pathological lying begins to interfere with someone’s personal life or the lives of those around them, it may be time to consider a conversation with a therapist or other trained mental health professional.

Defining Pathological Lying

Pathological lying is a behavior pattern in which individuals lie chronically or compulsively. Sometimes referred to as mythomania or pseudologia fantastica, pathological lying generally manifests as lying for lying’s sake. In some cases, individuals may lie to make themselves look better, but in others, they may have no good reason to lie or don’t gain anything from the act of lying. Being friends or family members of a pathological liar can be very frustrating, as it’s hard to tell what’s a lie and what isn’t or when a liar can be trusted.

There may be biological drivers behind pathological lying. One study found that central nervous system behavior may influence a propensity for lying, and another found evidence of lying due to an imbalance in the hormone-cortisol ratio. However, due to the differences in the nature of lying and the purposes of lying from one individual to another, there’s not always clear logic behind when or why pathological lying occurs.

Mental Health Disorders

Mental health disorders can and do play a role in pathological lying and may be a contributing factor. In many instances, getting a diagnosis can be the first step to addressing chronic lying.

Determining the difference between lying for social or personal reasons and lying due to mental illness can be a challenge. However, there are often differences in the manifestation of lying in those with mental illnesses versus those who lie for other reasons. For example, there are links between mental illness and believing your own lies; liars with other motivations often don’t believe what they’re saying.

Some of the mental health disorders that cause or contribute to pathological lying include:

  • Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Also called NPD, narcissistic personality disorder manifests as arrogant and self-centered behavior with little regard for other people’s feelings. Narcissistic pathological liars may lie for attention, to make themselves feel better, to feel superior to others or to manipulate others for the purposes of self-gain.
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a mental disorder that features intrusive thoughts and feelings, or obsessions, and a strong urge to perform certain behaviors, or compulsions. In some cases, there are ties between OCD and compulsive lying. Lying can be a true compulsion in a person with OCD experiences, or it can be a negative coping method.
  • Anxiety Disorders: Anxiety can manifest in numerous ways, from acute episodes to more generalized anxiety. While pathological lying isn’t a defining feature of anxiety as it is with other disorders, such as NPD, anxiety and compulsive lying can sometimes go hand in hand. People with anxiety disorders may lie to protect themselves from anxiety triggers or to handle things like a fear of rejection.
  • Antisocial Personality Disorder: Antisocial personality disorder is a serious diagnosis that often involves manipulation and cruelty toward others for the sake of personal amusement. It is often associated with psychopathy. Those with APD might compulsively lie to manipulate the people around them, hurt others’ feelings or otherwise cause harm.

Other Reasons for Pathological Lying

While pathological lying can be linked to mental health disorders, it isn’t always. There are numerous other reasons why people may lie with abandon, including:

  • Insecurity: Some people feel very insecure about who they are and might lie in an effort to make themselves feel better or inflate their own sense of self-worth. Lying may also be a defense mechanism to prevent ridicule or social exclusion. Lying under these circumstances is often quite transparent.
  • Social status: For those who value social status, lying may be a way to maintain a reputation. For example, communities focused on looks or financial status may look down on behaviors they perceive as lesser. Participants in these kinds of communities, like country clubs or prestigious social organizations, may lie to fit in with their desired peers.
  • Humor: Though less common than other reasons, some people may lie often because they find it funny. They may not understand the frustrations that come with being lied to or may believe their lies are so egregious that no one would believe them.
  • Substance abuse: Many substance abusers have issues with honesty, but this is generally inspired by a desire to hide signs of abuse rather than lying for attention or sympathy.

Pathological lying can seem harmless, albeit annoying, but it may be the sign of a bigger problem. Compulsive lying can be a symptom of a mental health disorder or even substance abuse. If pathological lying is a problem in yourself or others, therapy can be a good place to start in getting to the bottom of an issue. Confronting another person about their lying can be challenging but may be a good way to bring a problem to light. When addressing a friend or loved one’s lying, be prepared with a plan, including examples of lies that have harmed relationships or other life circumstances.

Getting help for mental health issues, including conditions that may lead to pathological lying, can be a critical step. Please contact FHE Health today to learn more about our comprehensive treatment options.

Filed Under: Featured in Mental Health, Behavioral & Mental Health

About Kristina Robb-Dover

Kristina Robb-Dover is a content manager and writer with extensive editing and writing experience... read more

3 Signs To Look For

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

In this Article

  • What is Lying?
  • Types of Lies
  • Signs of Lying
  • Living With Frequent Lying

What is Lying?

Everyone lies from time to time. However, some people lie more frequently than others and may lie without cause. If a person’s habit of lying negatively affects their life, or if they feel unable to stop lying, then they may have a condition known as pathological lying.

Pathological lying is still being studied, but may have many causes. Pathological lying is a symptom of various personality disorders, including antisocial, narcissistic, and histrionic personality disorders. Other conditions, such as borderline personality disorder, may also lead to frequent lies, but the lies themselves are not considered pathological. Finally, some people simply lie pathologically but have no other conditions.

Regardless of the reason for a lie, it’s unpleasant to find out that someone has lied to you. If a loved one is frequently lying to you, you can learn to spot their lies. You can also support them, if they decide to get treatment.

Types of Lies

People lie for many reasons. Most people tell lies occasionally to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or to get out of uncomfortable social situations. These are generally known as “white lies,” because they are intended to avoid harm and are generally about trivial matters. Many white lies are only partially false or exaggerate the truth.

On occasion, people will also lie to avoid getting in trouble or to protect themselves from a threat. These lies are generally more complete fabrications. They also tend to be about serious or self-serving matters. This type of lie is known as a “gray lie,” since it’s less likely to be socially acceptable than a white lie.

Finally, some people lie for malicious reasons. These lies often carry serious consequences for other people and may lead to situations people consider unfair or unjust. Any malicious lie is generally considered a “real lie,” which is completely socially unacceptable. People who lie pathologically are more likely to tell gray or real lies than other people.

Signs of Lying

When lying, many people have “tells” that can help you identify when they aren’t telling the truth. However, there is no one-size-fits-all method to tell when someone isn’t being truthful. Instead, you need to pay attention to that person specifically. If a loved one is lying to you frequently, look for some of these signs.

Contradictory Stories

When someone isn’t telling the truth, it’s harder to keep the details of their story straight. Someone who lies frequently will eventually lose track of previous lies and start to contradict themselves. If you notice your loved one is contradicting themselves, they may be lying. 

Unverifiable Details

Many people who lie frequently may add details to their lies to make them seem more realistic. Studies show that people tend to include fewer verifiable details when lying than when telling the truth, and a similar number of details that can’t be verified. So, if someone is telling you a story with a lot of details that you know can’t be proven or disproven, the story may be more suspicious.

Overly Dramatic or Long Stories

Especially with pathological liars, a lie is more likely to be dramatic and long than the truth. If a story seems too dramatic to be true, that may be the case. If your loved one often has anecdotes about overly dramatic or intense situations, they may be lying to you.

Living With Frequent Lying

Living with someone who lies frequently can be stressful and uncomfortable. If you want to maintain a relationship with someone who lies to you, there are a few tactics you can use to handle conversations and daily life.

Stay Calm

Many people who lie frequently will react poorly to anger aimed at them. If you believe you are being lied to, remain calm.

Don’t Engage With Lies

If you know something isn’t true, there’s no reason to act like it is true. Supporting your loved one’s lies will only reinforce their behavior. Instead, let them know that you know they are lying and stop the conversation.

Suggest Medical Treatment

If your loved one seems distressed by their lies, you can recommend that they get medical treatment. Therapy may help them confront the root of their habit of lying and lead to fewer lies in the future.

Mental disorders in the elderly

Please note that we do not provide treatment advice. The boarding house provides care for the elderly

In old age, activity and metabolism decrease, physical and mental health problems often appear. The reasons are different and often in the early stages of ailments, you can stop the development of the disease. For this reason, it is important to be aware of the symptoms that indicate psychiatric disorders in the elderly and those at risk.

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Mental health of the elderly: how to recognize the problem

Any changes in the behavior and well-being of an elderly person should not be left without attention. The problem identified in the early stages is faster and better amenable to correction. To do this, it is useful to know about the first symptoms and signs that negative changes are taking place in the psyche.

Involutional features include:

  • dizziness, impaired coordination, memory and concentration;
  • unreasonable anxiety;
  • noise in the head, ringing in the ears;
  • psychosomatic disorders;
  • constant feeling of weakness and fatigue even in the morning.

There is also a group of organic signs that can manifest themselves in a variety of diseases associated with the psyche and the central nervous system. For example: schizophrenia, psychosis, dementia, senile depression, PD and AD (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's).

Main manifestations:

  • poor orientation in time and space;
  • impairment of short-term memory;
  • forgetfulness, inattention and distraction;
  • delusions and hallucinations;
  • speech problems;
  • irrationality in behavior.

Common mental illnesses of the elderly

There are many mental illnesses and all of them require timely treatment and restoration of lost functions. It is important to recognize the disease as soon as possible in order to reduce its destructive effect on the body and stop irreversible changes.

Common mental disorders in the elderly:

  1. Senile dementia. A complex condition that requires constant monitoring by relatives or doctors. A person forgets elementary things, behaves unpredictably, his mood often changes. Cognitive functions are disturbed, problems with sleep and speech appear, a person loses interest in the world around him.
  2. Parkinson's disease. Characterized by trembling of the limbs and head. It requires immediate treatment, otherwise the condition worsens and attention and coordination already suffer. As a result, the risk of falls and injuries increases. Also, PD is often accompanied by depression, which complicates the treatment of the disease.
  3. Pick's disease . This disease is characterized by behavioral disturbances, but cognitive functions are not affected. A person becomes unsociable, loses interest in the environment, he is not worried about how he looks and what he is wearing. Such mental disorders in the elderly are accompanied by irritability, psychosis, aggression and scandalousness.
  1. Hypochondria . The so-called "imaginary patients" suffer from illnesses that they have invented for themselves. The difficulty is that in fact all the painful symptoms are not invented by a person, he really feels it. Here it is important to make a correct diagnosis and treat the psyche, which transmits negative impulses to the physical body.
  2. Alzheimer's disease . This mental disorder in the elderly can make them completely incapacitated if the development of the disease is not stopped in time. Along with memory and attention, the simplest everyday skills are lost. A person becomes apathetic towards everything that surrounds him.
  3. Delusional state . Living next to such people is very difficult, and sometimes unsafe. They do not trust anyone, they suspect everyone of something, they are very nervous and irritable. Often such a person is very difficult to persuade to take regular vitamins, because it may seem to him that they want to poison him.
  4. Manic state . Such a mental disorder in older women and men manifests itself in a kind of megalomania and narcissism. People are fixated on themselves, talk a lot and become unnecessarily intrusive in communication. Convincing a person in such a state that he is sick is difficult, so manic states are often accompanied by severe depression.

Risk factors for mental disorders in the elderly

No one is immune from disease, but there are groups in which the risk of mental disorders in the elderly increases.

What can provoke the development of mental illness:

  • hereditary predisposition;
  • bad habits;
  • brain lesions, head injuries;
  • stress, emotional strain;
  • unbalanced, poor diet;
  • sleep disorders that lead to chronic fatigue.

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Care of the elderly with mental disorders

Depending on the type and stage, mental disorders in the elderly may require proper organization of life. It is necessary to take into account the most, at first glance, insignificant details.

  1. Locks on doors must be locked only from the outside or be reversible so that a person cannot lock himself in the bathroom, kitchen, etc.
  2. To prevent panic and anxiety, all rooms should be well lit.
  3. All windows must be fitted with bars for the safety of the elderly.
  4. Furniture must be securely fixed.
  5. It is necessary to limit access to electrical appliances, household chemicals, perfumes, in addition, for example, to vinegar and similar products that can be dangerous.
  6. In the event of violent outbursts, dangerous sharp and heavy objects and anything fragile should be kept away.
  7. Documents should be put in a safe, and copies should be left for a sick person, so that in case something happens, everything does not have to be restored from scratch.

It is very difficult and even dangerous to care for people with mental disorders, especially if there are small children in the family. In such cases, the best option is to settle a person in a boarding house for the elderly.

Our nursing home has everything you need to care for people with a wide range of diagnoses. Our employees have extensive experience working with the mentally ill, so they will provide timely care and attention. We also guarantee complete personal safety due to the presence of a security and fire system.

Useful materials

  • How to get to a nursing home?
  • What is senile dementia?
  • Exercise for the elderly
  • Senile asthenia
  • Shortness of breath in the elderly
  • Vitamin D in the elderly

Care of the elderly with a mental disorder

Caring for an elderly person with a mental disorder

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