Compulsive liar

[thesearcher]

hi everyone!

Ive been i liar all my life and I'm trying to figure myself out. people always say people who lie went through a particularly traumatizing experience. that did not happen to me. I lie about day to day things without even thinking about it. I lied to someone years ago that i had been raped and now i feel like i even remember the details. i see it in my mind, am i losing my mind?

I'm not insecure people look up to me because I'm apparently charismatic and I'm always put in leadership positions.
so why do i lie?

 

[Retired]

Re: complulsive liar

Searcher,

Have you ever sought the answer from a mental health provider to gain some insights into your behaviour?

I lied to someone years ago that i had been raped and now i feel like i even remember the details.

If the core of the story was indeed untrue, perhaps over the years you have formed a scenario in your thinking in order to support the initial foundation of the false story.

What gain or gratification do you feel when you manipulate or exagerate the facts?

 

[Halo]

Re: complulsive liar

Welcome to Psychlinks thesearcher :welcome2:

Please make sure you review and familiarize yourself with the Forum Rules and I look forward to seeing you around the forum :wave:

 

[thesearcher]

Re: complulsive liar

thanks for the welcome
no i have not seen a mental health advisor because i can't afford one

i don't really feel anything when i lie, it just happens before i think about it.

does this make me crazy. honestly i just need someone to tell me I'm not crazy

 

[forgetmenot]

Re: complulsive liar

welcome the Searcher to the site. I don't think anyone here is going to call you crazy. Lying could be just a coping mechanism for you and used to protect you in some way. I am not a professional so i can't really say. I think if you could talk to a psychologist or a councillor with training they could help you get to the root of this lying. My brother used to lie all the time and i don't think he did it on purpose it was something he did to protect himself from others. I can't really explain it fully but it was a mechanism for him I hope others here can help you maybe look around and see if there is articles here on lying okay. Glad your here

 

[Retired]

Re: complulsive liar

What is Compulsive Lying?
by Derek Wood, Mental Health Matters
Monday, 02 February 2009

There are a number of reasons that people lie.

The first is fear. This is the most common reason that people may lie, and they are taking shelter from a perceived punishment. It may be because they know they have done something wrong a single time, in which case it is not compulsive lying. But if they are always in fear of being punished, it may become a habit, which is a second reason for lying.

In this case, it may become compulsive lying, which is lying by reflex. Even when confronted by the truth, they insist the lie is the truth in this case. A third case is learning to lie through modeling. When a people see others lie, especially when they get away with it, they may become more prone to lying.

Finally, people lie because they feel if they tell the truth they won't get what they want. Thus, out of the main reasons for lying, only lying by habit can truly be called "compulsive lying" or "pathological lying".

Increased lying has been seen with a number of psychiatric diagnoses such as ADHD and Bipolar Disorder. With ADHD people will often say "I don't know why I did that", and when confronted about why they lied, their answer will be the same. ADHD children also display impulsivity, and they may lie implusively. Bipolar Disorder can be associated with low serotonin levels, which has been implicated in impulsivity, which, as indicated before, makes a person more prone to lie.

Pathological lying, though, can be thought of as being associated with a select few psychiatric diagnoses, which normally have their onset during adolescence. Namely, these are Conduct Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder.

In conduct disorder, it is common to see lying, conning people and other forms of deceit.

In Antisocial Personality Disorder, there is a pervasive pattern of disregard or the rights of others, and with this, the person with this disorder will often lie to get what they wish – usually money, sex or power.

i have not seen a mental health advisor because i cant afford one

Do you have a family physician or pediatrician whom you have been seeing for your healthcare?

Is there a public hospital in your area? Many mental health providers will see patients/clients on a sliding scale based on ability to pay.

Perhaps there may be student healthcare services available at your school.

 

[ladylore]

Welcome to Psychlinks.

 

[NicNak]

:hithere: thesearcher :welcome: to Psychlinks

 

[Mashka]

I lied to someone years ago that i had been raped and now i feel like i even remember the details.

When I was in grade 8 a friend lied to me about being molested. When I was in grade 11 a friend lied to me about being molested. They aren't my friends anymore, as it was very hard for me to look at them the same after that. Now I understand why people lie-you might be trying to protect yourself from something. I understand compulsive lying, am interested in it, but I come to a little block when someone lies about something like that, but get over it knowing that there's a reason for it.

Welcome to the forum, nobodys going to call you crazy.

 

[Jazzey]

Welcome to Psychlinks :tiphat: