Lying is an aspect of human behavior that is often frowned upon. While telling small lies may seem harmless, there are instances where lying becomes a more significant issue, such as in the case of compulsive or pathological lying. Pathological liars differ from individuals who lie occasionally to escape difficult situations. In fact, mental health experts consider pathological lying as a mental disorder.
Pseudologia Fantastica: The Chronic Disorder of Pathological Lying
Pathological lying, also referred to as compulsive lying, mythomania, or pseudologia fantastica, is a persistent disorder characterized by the tendency to habitually lie without any discernible motive. Back in 1988, a study published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica provided a comprehensive list of identifiable signs indicating the presence of pathological lying:
Understanding the Diagnosis of Pathological Lying
Identifying and diagnosing pathological lying can be a challenging task for psychologists due to its association with other disorders or its development as a learned behavior during childhood. Rather than solely addressing the mythomania itself, professionals in this field tend to search for the root cause of this phenomenon and focus on addressing it. Pathological lying is often linked to mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and bipolar disorder.