Pathological Liar Symptoms & Tendencies

Pathological liars have been noted throughout history. The German Baron von Munchausen told outrageous, intricate and completely fabricated tales about his adventures. His name is now synonymous with falsification, deception and deceit. There are several motivations and circumstances that provoke chronic lying--financial, legal, personal. But to date, the phenomenon has not been adequately studied to determine whether pathological lying is a symptom, a syndrome or a diagnosis, The effectiveness of therapy for the condition is unknown, but there is evidence that many chronic liars have central nervous system damage.

What is pathological lying?

• Pathological lying is "falsification entirely disproportionate to any discernible end in view, may be extensive and very complicated, and may manifest over a period of years or even a lifetime in the absence of definite insanity, feeble-mindedness or epilepsy," according to the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

  In addition to the obvious consequences of such behavior in a range of human relationships, pathological lying raises questions of competence and responsibility in the courtroom. For example, can a pathological liar (pseudologue) be considered a credible witness?

Lying judge removed

• A California judge was removed from the bench in 2001 for lying about his education, career and other aspects of his life, as well as making false and misleading statements to other judges, attorneys, newspaper reporters and judicial authorities. A psychiatrist, serving as an expert witness, told the judicial panel that the judge suffered from "pseudologia fantastica," which he described as fictitious storytelling interlaced with some fact. The expert witness said that even so, the pathological lying is treatable with therapy and did not render him unfit for judicial service.

Where does it come from?

• Although no one yet knows the absolute basis for pathological lying, one theory is that it arises from a confusion of fantasy and reality in a process not unlike the creation and writing of fiction. In a scenario of "double consciousness," two versions of life---the real and the fantastic---coexist in the mind of the liar. The fantastic version of life is also the desired version that overshadows the real version.

  Psychiatrists believe the pseudologue believes his fantastic construction of reality because of a desire to play the part of the person depicted in the story. But in other areas of their lives, pseudologues usually have sound judgment, which raises the question of whether they know their repeated lying is wrong.

  Children use fantasy as a way or coping with reality, and it becomes a part of their development and self-protection. If the behavior continues into adulthood, it is considered abnormal and possibly a sign the pseudologue's ego is arrested at the level of a child.

  Some mental health experts believe there is a reality impairment in pathological liars; others see the behavior as completely willful.

Signs and similarities

• A number of psychiatric conditions mimic and parallel pathological lying. Malingering involves the display of false physical or mental symptoms to escape military service, obtain financial reward or illicit drugs and to avoid work. Confabulation refers to the construction of false memory to cover real memory gaps caused by amnesia.

  Factitious disorder is the enactment of physical or psychological symptoms to assume the role of a sick person. This is distinguished from the pathological liar, who does not try to appear ill. People with borderline personality disorder have no fixed sense of themselves and may experience bouts of disconnection from reality that leads to lying.

  Those with antisocial personality disorder lie for a sense of power and for profit. Histrionic personality types exaggerate and distort reality in an attempt to get attention; narscissistic personalities tell exaggerated falsehoods about themselves in an effort to get approval of others.

Treatment and outlook

• Although the effectiveness of psychotherapy in treating pathological lying has not been established, as many as 40 percent of cases of pseudologia fantastica have been found to have a history of central nervous system abnormalities. These abnormalities may indicate a treatment protocol based on drugs or other interventional procedures. (See Reference 1)