One of its paradoxes involves lying.
People with BPD fear abandonment and have trouble maintainingrelationships.
Many family members and friends of those with BPD citelyingas a major problem in their relationships.
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Is Lying a Symptom of BPD?
Pathological lying involves lying for no real reason or benefit and can be present in somepersonality disorders.
Paradoxically, the consequences of lying are particularly tough for a person with BPD.
Lying harms the very relationships they fear losing.
They tend to sabotage the relationships they desperately fear losing.
It’s an act borne out of pain and fear.
Often, people with BPD even believe their own lies.
Here are a few of the issues at the root of lying in BPD.
They look for details thatconfirm what they feeland ignore those that don’t.
A movement in therapeutic circles seeks to rename BPD in the DSM to characterize the condition better.
Impulsivity
BPD is also associated withimpulsivity, the tendency to do things without thinking about the consequences.
Sometimes, lying shows up when the person with BPD is just not thinking before responding.
Shame
People with BPD often experience deeply entrenchedshame.
Lying may be one way to conceal mistakes or weaknesses that involve feelings of shame and guilt.
Distorted Self-Perceptions
A person with BPD typically has anunstable self-identity.
Rejection Sensitivity
People with BPD are verysensitive to rejection.
Lying jeopardizes an essential support system and harms everyone involved.
The key is knowing all it’s possible for you to about the disorder.
Symptoms that can affect your relationship include impulsivity, lying, fear of abandonment, and instability.
The first line of defense is information.
Read all it’s possible for you to about the condition.
Resources, both online and in print, abound.
Find support groups, blogs, articles, and books.
For example, the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder offers a list of recommended books on BPD.
have a go at address the root of the lying, not the lie itself.
It likely stems from fear that you’ll walk away from the person or think negatively of them.
Reassuring the person that you will not abandon them may help.
When talking to a person with BPD, stay as calm and unemotional as you’re free to.
Address the lie directly with facts, not emotion.
Most importantly, seek support.
Is Treatment for BPD Effective?
The person with BPD monitors their own symptoms and skills system, and their coach tracks their progress.
DBT has shown promise in treating BPD.
Lying may be one example of this.
In turn, it may help you move the person toward appropriate therapy.
2012;(8):CD005652.
Published online December 8, 2023. doi:10.18502/ijps.v19i1.14347
