Pathological liar treatment

We all lie, every now and then, in order to avoid many awkward situations or work our way out of problems in life. However, once we tell something that is not true, our conscience immediately gets activated and guilt starts eating us. Yet, there are individuals who suffer from no such problems. Rather, they lie all the time and they enjoy every second of their lying and manipulation, doing it all for personal goals. These people are named pathological liars.Definition of Pathological Liars

These people lie constantly, even when they do not have any purposes or goals behind the lies they tell. Pathological lying is a condition which commonly goes hand in hand with some other behavioral disorders like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Moreover, brains of people who are pathological liars differ those of other people. Namely, the brains of the former have their prefrontal cortex, being the center for decision making, more developed.

Pathological liars find it hard and uncomfortable to speak the truth, fearing that they might be affected by it negatively. Therefore, they find lies safer than truth and stick to these postulates of their manipulative lives. Usually, this stems from negative experiences in the past and pathological liars connect the truth with unpleasantness.

These people cannot form normal relationships, regardless whether work or pleasure is concerned. They lie and no one can actually get to know them, making every act of socialization they indulge into futile and destructive for the other side.

Treatment for Pathological Liars

Since these people have troubles telling the truth and trusting others, they need to accept the fact that they have a problem before any possible steps towards treatments can be taken. Denial and lack of acceptance will interfere with the treatment in most cases of pathological liars. Therefore, it is a well-known fact that treatment for this condition is demanding and not guaranteed to be successful.

Nevertheless, psychotherapy might work, even though many sessions, along with medications are necessary. Cognitive behavioral therapy is also very good for treating pathological liars, by changing their behavioral patterns and attitudes, addressing the root cause of the problem. The patient may be asked to keep a journal where he/she will write his/her thoughts in different, everyday situations so that the therapist might understand the patient better and improve the treatment accordingly.

Finally, even if the treatment is successful initially, the patient may be lying. This will constantly present a problem and a barrier towards healing and recovering from this mental disorder. Therefore, therapists need to bear this in mind and know how to differentiate truth from lies.