Is pathological lying a mental disorder?

I'm no doctor..

But I believe its a disorder. If you have to lie because the truth is unbareable to say.

Than you have a disorder. Like ADD or being shy.

Stoners have the best vocabularies. I've never seen so many ten dollar words in my life. Love y'all.

a couple times ive stopped a sentance and said, no im not, im lying

my brother lies a lot and its annoying but i think he doesnt mean to lie, it just happens, then u notice, just some people dont own up to it

It must be a disorder because it isn't called a frequent liar its called a pathological liar, pathological meaning disease... right?


And as someone mentioned I tend to think its some whole fantasy of a better life complex thingy ma bober.

i always heard and used the term "compulsive liar"

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Originally Posted by GraziLovesMary

Pathological lying is an obsession. The offender is either consciously or sub-consciously unhappy about one or more aspects of his or her life and creates a pseudo-fantasy world that corroborates and inter-relates with his real life. He sees this part of his life, or this physical trait or characteristic, or this memory, and decides it would be much more appealing if it sounded like... and as quick as that the story has been changed.

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I think this is the best explanation I've read. I think some people are confusing one type of liar with a different, more rare type I am talking about. I am not the type of person that believes in most mental disorders, such as eating disorders, or people with OCD, I think many things like this may be problems that can be helped with a doctor, but most of the time I do believe it can be controlled by the patient.

However, what I am talking about is a person that does not realize what they are saying is even a lie. I think what Grazi said perfectly explains the people I am thinking about, so I do think there is something to that but I'm guessing it is still relatively not entirely understood by most doctors, or confused with people that knowingly lie because they are just a-holes.

Thanks for all the replys!

Consider the upside. If we didn't have people with this problem, we couldn't have nearly as much fun in life. I mean really. "Liar liar, pants on fire" is a phrase I'm not sure I could have made it this far in life without. . . .

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Originally Posted by Nailhead

Is pathological lying a mental disorder?

The reason I ask, is because I have known a few people that for no reason at all, lie about just about everything they can. I simply do not understand this type of behavior, to someone that doesn't really know a pathological liar they might just think they are an asshole that wants attention, however I wonder if it is an actual disorder with the way their brain thinks.

My dad, and a couple friends are this way. It doesn't matter what they are talking about, they frequently will start talking about something is either obviously false, or I know for a fact is untrue. Most of the time these lies do not benefit them, so I don't understand how they can consciously lie to people they care about, and because they get so enveloped in their lies, I wonder if they even realize what they are saying isn't true?

Does anybody understand pathological liars? The people I know that lie don't seem to have any motive, but my dad's new wife even seems to get in on his lies! (I know my dad well enough to know when his stories go from true to completely BS, and his wife seems to jump right in and add to the crap).

One of the lies I was told that really made me wonder about people that do this, is when a friend of mine who has a band told me in all honesty in private about his band being signed up by Sony. He went into great detail about how they were sending each of the band members a large check and would be promoting them and distributing their CDs. Now, this makes me wonder if these people have a mental problem because if he knew he was telling a lie he would know that I would eventually find out the truth and he would look like a complete idiot. Of course, as time went on, nothing happened, and he never mentioned this ever again.

I can understand why someone would lie for attention, or to get a head, but in this case, as in many others, the attention was there even without the lie, and there was absolutely no benefit, in fact, the lie caused distrust and now I don't believe a damn thing that person says, and I also don't have very much respect as well.

Anybody understand this? Is this some mental disorder? Do they even know they are lying?

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Fablists urk me! Fable this! Fable that! Just another transparent asshole wanting to "Be" instead of accepting ones self and building from the ground up sincerely and honestly!
So I'd say, yes, it's definitely a psychological disorder!

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Originally Posted by birdgirl73

Consider the upside. If we didn't have people with this problem, we couldn't have nearly as much fun in life. I mean really. "Liar liar, pants on fire" is a phrase I'm not sure I could have made it this far in life without. . . .

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lmao! I coulda done without it in Elementary school. Ive built up a nice collection of stories from experience (not the modified versions, but the complete and unnabridged), even from a young age, and many people didnt believe some of the things that I told them.

Theres not many things I hate more than being called a liar when I know the words coming out of my mouth are true :p

But you are right, if people didnt lie, we wouldnt be able to entertain ourselves by picking the lies out from the truth, as I am fond of doing.

I have known a few compulsive liars..it is ridiculous some of the things that they say...I have always said to them..the truth is so much easier..