Pathological Liars: Understanding Compulsive Lying

Key Takeaways

• Pathological lying is a chronic pattern of compulsive dishonesty that often occurs without clear benefit or conscious intent.
  
• While it isn’t a standalone diagnosis, pathological lying is commonly linked to underlying mental health conditions or emotional coping patterns.
  
• The behavior can deeply affect trust and emotional well-being, but compassionate support and therapy can help create change.

Ever wonder why some people lie even when there's no clear benefit? Pathological liars, or compulsive liars, lie out of habit, often without any obvious gain.

Unlike occasional dishonesty, it’s a chronic behavior that can occur even when telling the truth would serve them better. While it’s not a standalone diagnosis, pathological lying is often linked to underlying mental health conditions like personality disorders, anxiety, or depression.

This behavior deeply impacts relationships, as trust erodes over time, and can harm both the liar's well-being and the people around them. Healing often requires professional help to address the root causes.

What is Pathological Lying?

Pathological lying is a chronic, compulsive behavior where a person lies consistently, often without clear benefit, and typically without regard for the truth or the impact on others.

While it’s common to tell an occasional white lie, people who lie pathologically tell more than a random fib— oftentimes lying has become part of that person’s everyday life, and telling a lie feels more natural than telling the truth.

While there are several reasons people tell lies — to spare someone’s feelings or avoid difficult situations — pathological lying is often associated with underlying mental health conditions. It can either be a stand-alone problem or a symptom of other disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or some personality disorders.

Pathological lying is also referred to as pseudologia fantastica and mythomania. The term pseudologia fantastica was coined by a German physician named Anton Delbrueck in 1891 to describe those who tell complex stories where fantasies seemed to coexist with lies.

He noticed that a particular group of patients told extreme, fantastical lies that were obviously untrue to the observer, yet believed by the patients themselves to be within the realm of possibility.

People with pseudologia fantastica present fantasies as real occurrences and tell eloquent and interesting fictions to impress others. If their stories are ever doubted by the listener, those with pseudologia fantastica will use elaborations to satisfy their listener, finding new lies to replace the old. Often, they begin to believe their own stories as truths.

Is Pathological Lying a Mental Health Condition?

Even though pseudologia fantastica, or pathological lying, is not coded in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), it has commonly been associated with factitious disorder (also known as Munchausen syndrome).

Factitious disorder is a mental health condition that causes a person to portray themselves as if they have a physical or psychological illness when in fact they don’t. It is also common for them to falsely present others as being injured, ill, or impaired.

Similar to factitious disorder, pathological lying shows a marked tendency of an individual to lie. However, the two mental health conditions differ in the sense that, in factitious disorder, the motivations of the liar are external, but for pathological liars, motivations are more internally driven.

Additionally, pathological lying has been marked as a key symptom of antisocial personality disorder. Those with antisocial personality disorder may show patterns of behavior that involve dishonesty or manipulation, often tied to difficulties with empathy or impulse control.

Pathological Lies Versus White Lies

Pathological lying is different and more severe than telling little white lies. Understanding the distinction matters because the two behaviors stem from completely different motivations and create vastly different consequences.

Here's how they compare:

White lies serve a social function, while pathological lies create confusion and damage trust without clear benefit to anyone involved.

Why Do Pathological Liars Lie?

Why someone lies pathologically is often unknown to both the audience and the liar. Chronic lying seems to be a pointless habit, one that is incredibly frustrating for family, friends, and coworkers.

According to a study by the British Journal of Psychiatry, pathological liars have more white matter in the prefrontal area of their brains, which might explain why they are so prone to compulsive lying. People with more white matter have been found to have problems with empathy and emotion, but also have quicker connections, verbal fluency, and faster thought processing.

Additionally, pathological lying has been marked as a key symptom of antisocial personality disorder. Those with antisocial personality disorder have a common disregard for the rights of others and are known to tell lies to gain status or manipulate others.

When the pathological liar is mostly telling boastful lies, then that might be a sign the person has narcissistic personality disorder. Whatever the mental health condition may be, there’s typically an underlying reason for the lying behavior.

How to Recognize Pathological Lying

Identifying pathological lying can be difficult. After all, those who do so may not be aware of their behavior and may be so accustomed to telling impulsive, random lies. Often, pathological liars feel as if they aren’t in control of the lying.

You can ask yourself or the liar a series of questions to better understand the situation:

• Is the individual chronically lying about little things?
• Are they frequently contradicting themselves?
• Do they show little or no remorse about their lies?

If confronted, the liar may become defensive or hostile. This response will naturally make you question whether it’s worth challenging them, even if you have proof of the falsities he or she is telling.

You can try to spot behaviors, patterns, and encourage change, but professional help is likely necessary to help them recognize and successfully deal with these deeply rooted issues. While you can try to empathize and cope with a pathological liar’s constant mistruths, understanding what causes the lying is the only way to change a pathological liar’s behavior.

Treatment, which can include psychotherapy, medication, or both, will depend on whether or not the pathological lying is a symptom of an underlying psychiatric condition.

It can be hard to navigate any sort of relationship with a pathological liar. Understandably, others’ lying may lead you to experience feelings of frustration, upset, and helplessness.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Pathological Lying?

Pathological lying can manifest differently from person to person, but there are common patterns that tend to emerge over time. These behaviors often feel automatic rather than calculated, and the person lying may not fully understand why they’re doing it.

Some of the most common signs and symptoms include:

• Internal inconsistency: Stories may change frequently or contradict earlier statements, even about small or easily verifiable details. When asked for clarification, the person may seem genuinely confused or quickly shift their explanation rather than acknowledge the inconsistency.
  
• Grandiosity or exaggerated stories: Lies may involve impressive achievements, dramatic experiences, or inflated personal qualities. These stories can sound elaborate or unlikely, yet are often told with confidence and emotional conviction.
  
• Lying without clear external gain: Unlike situational lying, pathological lying often doesn’t serve an obvious purpose, such as avoiding consequences or gaining money or status. The dishonesty may occur even when telling the truth would be easier or safer.
  
• Defensiveness when confronted: Being questioned about inconsistencies can trigger strong defensive reactions, including denial, irritation, or shifting blame. Defensiveness may reflect discomfort, shame, or fear rather than intentional manipulation.
  
• Difficulty stopping the behavior: Many people who lie compulsively describe feeling out of control, as though the lie comes out before they’ve had time to think it through.
  

It’s important to remember that these signs don’t automatically mean someone is intentionally trying to deceive others.

In many cases, pathological lying is connected to deeper psychological patterns or unmet emotional needs, which is why understanding the behavior with empathy rather than judgment matters.

What are the Causes of Pathological Lying?

Pathological lying is rarely about intentionally deceiving others. More often, it reflects underlying psychological drivers that make lying feel automatic or emotionally protective. In this sense, the behavior can serve as a coping response to manage distress or meet emotional needs that are otherwise hard to access.

Factitious disorder

In some cases, pathological lying is associated with factitious disorder, a mental health condition where a person presents themselves, or others, as ill or injured without an external reward.

The lying isn’t typically about attention or calculated manipulation. Instead, it may reflect a need for validation or connection. Over time, telling these stories can become ingrained, making it difficult for the person to separate truth from lies.

Personality disorders

Pathological lying has also been linked to certain personality disorders. For example, a person living with antisocial personality disorder may lie frequently as part of a broader pattern of disregarding social norms or others’ boundaries.

Someone with narcissistic personality disorder may tell exaggerated or grandiose stories to protect a fragile sense of self-worth or maintain an idealized image. In both cases, lying often serves an internal purpose, such as preserving identity or emotional safety, rather than achieving a concrete external outcome.

Frontotemporal dementia

Less commonly, pathological lying can appear in people with frontotemporal dementia, a neurological condition that affects areas of the brain responsible for judgment, impulse control, and social behavior.

In these situations, lying may stem from reduced self-awareness or difficulty regulating behavior, rather than psychological intent. The person may not recognize that what they’re saying is untrue or understand its impact on others.

How Does Pathological Lying Impact Relationships?

Pathological lying can take a quiet but serious toll on relationships over time. Even when the lies aren’t meant to cause harm, their ongoing presence often changes how people feel and interact with one another.

One of the most significant impacts is the erosion of trust. When stories don’t add up or details keep shifting, partners, friends, family members, and coworkers may start questioning everything they hear.

This constant uncertainty can make it hard to feel emotionally close. Over time, repeated contradictions can lead others to question their own memory or perception, which may resemble gaslighting. When this pattern is ongoing, the emotional distress and erosion of trust can overlap with experiences people describe as emotional abuse, even when harm isn’t intentional.

At the same time, the person who lies may feel shame, anxiety, or fear of being found out, even if they don’t fully understand why the behavior keeps happening. These dynamics can lead to isolation.

Loved ones may pull away to protect themselves, while the person who lies may withdraw out of embarrassment or defensiveness. The distance can reinforce loneliness and make it even harder to repair a connection without support.

How to Deal With a Pathological Liar

Once someone lies to you, it can be hard to find a way to trust them again. It can be especially hurtful if someone lies to you repeatedly. Once you notice a pattern, it hurts even more.

Dealing with pathological liars can be incredibly frustrating, and it might start to feel like you can’t trust anything they say. If you think you’re dealing with a pathological liar, read on for ways you can handle the situation.

Don’t take it personally

Often, a pathological liar is unaware that they are lying, and the lying may be unintentional. It’s important to remind yourself of this and that the person may be struggling with a mental health condition resulting in this behavior.

Address the problem

If you’re willing to help the liar process their emotions, especially if the person is a loved one, make him or her aware that you know that they aren’t telling you the truth. However, before you do this, be aware that the liar could potentially have feelings of resentment upon hearing you vocalize your concerns.

Next, calmly discuss the problem in a private, safe space, try to help them understand the reason behind the lies, and encourage them to seek help outside of your relationship.

Walk away

If the pathological liar continues to lie and nothing changes after you’ve expressed your concerns, you may have to step away from the toxic relationship. Lies can hurt deeply, and the pathological liar needs to recognize that change is necessary to keep those they love in their life.

How is Pathological Lying Diagnosed?

Pathological lying isn’t recognized as a diagnosis by itself. Instead, it’s typically evaluated alongside other mental health conditions during a comprehensive assessment.

A licensed mental health provider may examine patterns of behavior over time, including how often lying occurs, whether it occurs without a clear external benefit, and its effects on relationships and daily functioning.

They’ll also consider whether the lying is connected to other symptoms, such as difficulties with impulse control, identity, emotional regulation, or reality testing.

Pathological lying is often associated with conditions like personality disorders, factitious disorder, or certain neurological conditions; therefore, diagnosis usually focuses on identifying and treating those underlying challenges.

This broader approach helps ensure that care is tailored to the person’s full experience, rather than labeling the behavior in isolation.

What is the Treatment for Pathological Lying?

Treatment for pathological lying focuses less on stopping the behavior itself and more on understanding what’s driving it.

Chronic lying is often linked to underlying challenges such as trauma, personality-related patterns, or difficulties with impulse control. Therefore, care is typically tailored to those root causes.

There are two primary treatment approaches used in managing pathological lying: medication and psychotherapy.

Medication

There’s no specific mental health medication that treats pathological lying on its own. However, medication may be part of care when the lying is connected to another mental health condition, such as anxiety, depression, or certain personality-related symptoms.

In these cases, addressing the underlying condition can reduce the intensity or frequency of compulsive lying behaviors.

Psychotherapy (talk therapy)

Psychotherapy is usually the primary approach. Depending on a person’s needs, therapy may focus on:

• Recognizing lying impulses and understanding what triggers them in everyday situations
  
• Building impulse control, using approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to pause and choose more intentional responses
  
• Improving emotional regulation, which is where dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can be especially helpful
  
• Strengthening self-awareness and tolerance for discomfort that can come with telling the truth
  
• Reinforcing the emotional benefits of honesty, such as greater trust, stability, and connection in relationships

For many people, starting therapy can feel overwhelming at first, but working with a licensed therapist can help clarify what kind of support is most appropriate and what steps to take next.

With Talkspace online therapy, members can connect with licensed therapists and participate in online therapy, making it easier to get consistent support while working through deeply ingrained behaviors.

The platform offers flexible scheduling and messaging options that fit around work and personal commitments, removing common barriers like transportation or rigid appointment times. Members can choose from text, video, or audio sessions based on what feels most comfortable for discussing sensitive issues like pathological lying.

Get matched with a Talkspace therapist who can help you build healthier communication patterns.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why do pathological liars lie even when there’s nothing to gain?

Pathological liars often lie out of habit or an internal need to manipulate situations, rather than to gain something tangible. Their lying may be driven by deep-seated psychological factors, such as low self-esteem, a desire for control, or an inability to confront uncomfortable truths.

Can pathological lying be a symptom of trauma or attachment issues?

Yes, pathological lying can stem from unresolved trauma or attachment issues. Individuals with a history of trauma may use lying as a coping mechanism to protect themselves emotionally or to maintain control in relationships.

How can you set boundaries with someone who lies chronically?

Setting boundaries with a chronic liar involves being firm and clear about your expectations, while also holding them accountable for their actions. It's important to consistently enforce the boundaries and maintain open communication about how their behavior impacts your relationship.

Can therapy genuinely help someone stop pathological lying?

Yes, therapy can help individuals address the underlying causes of their pathological lying. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and other therapeutic approaches can work to increase self-awareness, improve impulse control, and foster healthier coping mechanisms.

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Sources:

1. Korenis P, Gonzalez L, Kadriu B, Tyagi A, Udolisa A. Pseudologia fantastica: forensic and clinical treatment implications. Comprehensive Psychiatry. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25280799/. 2015 Jan; 56:17-20. Accessed February 05, 2026.
2. Yang Y, Raine A, Lencz T, Bihrle S, Lacasse L, Colletti P. Prefrontal white matter in pathological liars. British Journal of Psychiatry. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16199789/. 2005 Oct; 187:320-325. Accessed February 05, 2026.

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