Characteristics of a Pathological Liar

Most people know that is wrong to lie, although they may tell small fibs or little white lies now and then. In those situations, the person typically feels guilt about the lie or anxiety about the truth being revealed. A pathological liar, however, lies often and with ease, and feels no remorse for the act. For a pathological liar, the act of lying becomes routine to the point where they can no longer distinguish between their lies and the truth.

Diagnosis

• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) does not recognize pathological lying as a mental health disorder. Instead, it regards pathological lying as a symptom of other mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, narcissistic personality disorder or antisocial personality disorder.

Definition

• Pathological lying is sometimes confused with compulsive lying. Compulsive liars are habitual liars who are addicted to lying and have little regard for the consequences of their lies. Pathological liars lie to serve their own interests and agenda. They lie to manipulate and control others and express very little, if any, feelings of guilt or remorse.

Identification

• Certain body language is associated with lying like avoiding eye contact and a high pitched voice. A pathological liar will display none of these telling signs. A pathological liar feels completely in control when lying. The lies told by pathological liars often seem unbelievable or too good to be true. When confronted with questions or the truth, pathological liars will have a hard time confirming their story, but will continue to lie. Even when faced with a possible punishment, pathological liars will not admit the truth.