Is there a medication to help pathological liars?

Answer 1

"No, people who lie do it on purpose, and sometimes they lie for so many years when they are telling a story that is not true they may think it is because lying has become such a part of life they can't tell they are doing it anymore. The only cure is the person changing the bad habit." That's rather inaccurate. The term pathological lying essentially translates to uncontrollable lying. This can mean that a person who is suspected of pathological lying is considered to have a disease, and therefore cannot control the lying. However, psychologists and psychiatrists fail to account for a specific definition of pathological lying as a disease. It can be symptomatic of other conditions, like antisocial personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is not always present in these conditions, so a clear treatment set for pathological lying has not been defined. Many people who exhibit pathological lying also clearly exhibit symptoms of other treatable conditions. Conditions like ADHD and OCD are treatable through medication, though different ones. This makes accurately diagnosing underlying conditions important. The last thing one would want to give a person with OCD is a stimulant like Ritalin, which would likely exacerbate their disorder. Personality disorders that contribute to pathological lying may also respond to a combined treatment of psychiatric medication and cognitive behavioral therapy. The goal with pathological lying must in the end be to treat any evidence of illness or conditions that may influence the lying. This may include medications and the use of behavioral therapy to help the person overcome compulsive lying.