Pathological liars or compulsive liars are those who lie constantly. These are not sporadic lies, but an absolute inclination towards lying. It is not considered a disorder in itself or a disease, but the mythomaniac peopleas they are called, presents symptoms shared with different pathologies.
These people are aware of their lies and usually create quite plausible stories. It is not a psychotic disorder. Although he coexists with lies, the mythomaniac knows that he is lying. These are people who are not comfortable with themselves.
What is mythomania
The first meaning of the RAE for the word “mythomania” is “morbid tendency to disfigure, by magnifying it, the reality of what is said.” Secondly, there is another one that is more widespread at a popular level, which refers to the mythification or excessive admiration towards other people or things.
The mythomania is also known as fantastic pseudology. It is an addiction to lying in which the person is unable to stop lying and falsifying reality. A reality that needs to be made more tolerable.
Symptoms of mythomania
- Inability to control impulses to lie
- Satisfaction with his undiscovered lies
- Poor social skills
- High level of anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- Progressive escalation of lies, getting bigger and bigger
- Stress arising from the need to keep up your lies
Mytomania can be a symptom of other mental disorders.
Causes of pathological lying
As we have mentioned, the objective of the compulsive liar is to transform a reality that he does not like. His weapon to do so is lies.
- This people they lie to present themselves as they really would like to be: more successful people, more recognized, richer, etc.
- In this way what they pursue is Get attention and gain admiration.
- A mythomaniac lies to magnify himself in the eyes of others and is addicted to lies, which gives him satisfaction.
- The lie works like a anxiety reducing factor that causes his failure in real life, and works as a reinforcement to perpetuate that behavior.
With lies, the mythomaniac person achieves social acceptance, respect, and creates a false character that masks reality.
What does the treatment of mythomania consist of?
Mythomaniacs hardly recognize that they are mythomaniacs. Therefore, it is difficult for them to agree to undergo treatment. However, if they have suffered setbacks resulting from their behavior, they may end up recognizing the problem and wanting to overcome it.
The next step is to search specialized help. A mental health professional can evaluate the case, whether it is part of another disorder or not, etc., and help you get out of your addiction.
Compulsive liars are insecure people who do not have a good self-concept. They hide a low self-esteem masked in your fantasiesthey believe that if they show themselves as they are they will not be accepted.
An effective treatment for this problem is , through cognitive restructuring that replaces your erroneous beliefs and harmful thoughts. In this context, work with these patients also necessarily involves encourage your and improve your social skills to ensure that the person feels comfortable in their skin and does not have to resort to constant lying.
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