Compulsive Lying

Compulsive lying depicted by a person taking an oath with fingers crossed behind their backCompulsive lying, also called pathological lying or pseudologia fantastica, is a persistent pattern of lying that continues even when the lies bring no clear benefit and cause real harm. It is not a standalone diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR, though it often appears alongside personality disorders and can seriously damage trust. Recent research argues pathological lying is a distinct and treatable condition in its own right.

A German physician named Dr. Anton Delbrück first described the condition in 1891. Five of his patients had a habit of telling excessively large lies. He named their behavior pseudologia phantastica (spelled pseudologia fantastica in American English).

Whether the pattern is yours or someone you love, a therapist can help untangle compulsive lying and rebuild trust.

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Symptoms of Pseudologia Fantastica

Many people are dishonest on occasion. Yet pathological liars tend to lie more frequently regardless of context.

Habitual lying often has the following traits:

  • The lies are believable and may have truthful elements. A person with a minor illness might tell coworkers they have a serious, life-threatening condition.
  • The lying continues for a long period of time and is not caused by some immediate pressure. A person who lies repeatedly about an affair would typically not qualify as a habitual liar, since the lies result from the desire to keep a secret.
  • The lies tend to present the person lying in a positive light. A person is more likely to lie about having a Ph.D than claim they dropped out of high school.
  • The lies have an internal rather than external motivation. A child with abusive parents might lie compulsively to avoid harm. These falsehoods would not be considered compulsive because the lying is motivated by an outside threat.

Before determining that someone is lying compulsively, clinicians will generally rule out other possible causes. Someone who has delusions or false memory syndrome is unlikely to qualify as a habitual liar. In general, a pathological liar must recognize they are saying something untrue.

Compulsive Lying vs. Pathological Lying

The terms “compulsive lying” and “pathological lying” are used interchangeably in the research literature, and the medical literature does not currently differentiate between them. Curtis and Hart, whose work has renewed clinical interest in the condition, treat pathological lying as a single phenomenon: a persistent pattern of lying that continues even when it brings no clear benefit and causes real harm to the person telling the lies.

Some clinicians draw an informal distinction between the two terms, using “compulsive” to emphasize the uncontrollable, habitual quality of the behavior and “pathological” to emphasize its severity or its links to other conditions. This distinction is a matter of clinical shorthand rather than an established difference, and it is not supported by a formal diagnostic boundary.

What both terms describe is the same core pattern. People who lie in this way may be more comfortable telling falsehoods than the truth. They may lie about important and unimportant matters alike, sometimes telling lies that damage their own reputations. Even after their falsehoods have been exposed, they may have difficulty admitting the truth. Lies are often mixed with true details, which makes them more credible and harder to unravel, and this blending of truth and falsehood is part of what makes the behavior a subtle form of manipulation.

What Causes Compulsive Lying?

Psychologists disagree whether compulsive lying can stand alone as its own diagnosis. Currently, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) does not recognize it as a separate mental health condition. Yet compulsive lying does appear as a symptom of several larger conditions.

Compulsive lying may be a symptom of:

Compulsive lying rarely indicates psychosis. People who lie compulsively can often identify their accounts as lies. Thus, they are not distanced from reality.

Some psychologists believe a person’s environment plays a large role in compulsive lying. A person may live in a context where deception creates advantages. If a community does not assign firm or consistent consequences for lying, a person may believe the benefits of lying outweigh the risks. Lies might also be a coping mechanism for low self-esteem or past trauma.

Despite these short-term benefits, compulsive lying often backfires in the long run. A habitual liar may feel extreme stress from keeping track of their falsehoods. They may struggle to live up to their own claims. If their lies are exposed, their relationships will likely grow strained. In some cases, they may face legal consequences.

Treatment for Compulsive Lying

People who lie compulsively are encouraged to seek the help of a qualified therapist. A therapist can help habitual liars understand their condition and the way it affects other people. They may also reveal underlying diagnoses such as bipolar or ADHD. In these cases, a therapist will likely treat all a person’s issues in tandem.

When a person lies to their therapist, treatment can be difficult. Treatment tends to work best when the person in therapy acknowledges their condition. If the person is forced into therapy, they are unlikely to cooperate. Ideally, the person in therapy will believe help is necessary and make a sincere effort to change.

Even if the therapist catches a lie, the person may refuse to admit their dishonesty. In treating pathological lying, some therapists have found it beneficial to address the lying as an addiction.

Either group or individual sessions can be beneficial in treatment. When a person’s lying has interfered with personal or romantic relationships, couples counseling can also be helpful. Behavior modification strategies such as role playing may be used to promote change and gauge progress.

 

References:

  1. Curtis, D. A., & Hart, C. L. (2020). Pathological lying: Theoretical and empirical support for a diagnostic entity. Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice, 2(2), 62-69. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.prcp.20190046
  2. Curtis, D. A., & Hart, C. L. (2022). Pathological lying: Theory, research, and practice. American Psychological Association.
  3. American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787

Last Updated: 07-13-2026

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  • Grady Dixon

    June 20th, 2015 at 4:56 PM

    My girl friend grew up in a family where lying was a part of life. Her father was is politics which also included being state representative, states attorney, and having a private practice. All this after WWII where he claimed to be at the Nuremberg Trials, of which there is no evidence, and began his law practice in the State of Illinois. Illinois is one of the most politically corrupt states in the US. I have caught her in lie after lie. It seems she does this to make her seem much more intelligent than I. Any thoughts?

    Reply

  • Staci

    March 22nd, 2017 at 1:02 PM

    My girlfriend is the same way! We’ve been together 3 years and it’s ruining our relationship. I don’t trust her because of all the lies. Lies over big stuff and random stupid stuff. We had a good relationship but I second guess everything that comes out of her mouth. I don’t know if she should seek counseling alone or if we should do couples counseling. She admits that she lies even if she doesn’t admit to what it is she lies about and she has said she doesn’t know why she does it.

    Reply

  • Ryanlaw

    March 25th, 2017 at 1:23 PM

    Why are you choosing to stay with a woman you know you can’t trust? There are so many healthy loving single women who want a good man. Part of your girl’s therapy should be losing you. Consequences ofteb spark behavior changes. There is no motivation for her to stop lying, especially if she gets to keep you around to hear her long tales.

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