There is a reason why you are asked in court to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It's because most of the time, that's not what people do.

Everyone lies sometimes. There are many reasons to lie. Sometimes we do not want to hurt someone's feelings. Sometimes we lie for our own advantage. We lie in business and in our personal lives. Most adults are aware of it when they lie.

Young children sometimes have problems telling fantasy from reality. When a three-year-old insists that he flew to Mars this morning, he may not be lying on purpose. He may not even be aware that it is a lie. Children with good imaginations often take longer to learn what a lie really is. It is important to work with children to teach them about fantasy and reality, instead of punishing them for these kinds of lies.

A pathological liar is somewhere between an adult and a child with a good imagination. A pathological liar is like a child in that he or she may believe in the lies, at least for the time that she or he is talking.

Stories by pathological liars tend to be very dramatic. They often portray the person as being smarter, braver, more attractive, or more interesting than she or he really is. Sometimes people begin to catch onto pathological liars because of obvious flaws in the stories. A fairly young man will describe his heroics in the Vietnam war. A homely woman will talk about all the men who fell instantly in love with her. Sometimes the flaws may be more subtle and it may take a knowledgeable person to find them. Often it happens that a pathological liar will be caught out at a party by someone who really was a pilot, really lived in Africa, or really was a fashion model.

Suspect a pathological liar if:
* the stories seem too dramatic or unrealistic,
* the lies seem to serve no purpose except to impress people, or
* the lies can easily be shown up.

Sometimes pathological lying appears to be related to physical causes, such as problems in the brain. Other times they appear to be related to low self-esteem. In any case, good diagnosis and treatment is needed. Contact your healthcare provider for assistance and referrals if needed.

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