Pseudofantasy, or pathological lying, is a disorder where a person invents complex stories for internal gratification. It is not recognized as a disease and can be difficult to diagnose. It differs from other disorders involving lying, such as malingering and confabulation. Psychologists are divided on whether it is a primary or secondary disorder and its origins are not fully understood.
Pseudofantasy is a disorder in which a person invents stories that may be complex and repeated over many years or throughout their lifetime. It is also called pathological lying, mythomania and morbid lying. Fabrication becomes a way of life for the pathological liar and provides the person with some kind of internal reward. Pathological lying is seen in other psychological disorders, but pseudology fantastic itself is not listed as a recognized disease in the medical literature.
A person suffering from this condition is not crazy and could be very successful in his profession. Lies may be based on partial truth and the person may recognize part of the lie if confronted. Usually, lies are not told for external benefit, but provide the liar with internal gratification. Fantastic pseudology is not clearly understood by experts, and little research has delved into the disorder. It presents challenges for psychologists when attempting to determine whether a patient is suffering from a recognized disorder, in which lying is only one of the signs.
One disorder involving pathological lying is malingering. A patient suffering from this condition invents physical or psychological symptoms to get something, such as drugs or money, or to avoid prosecution or work. Fantastic pseudology differs from fiction in that the reward is external rather than the internal satisfaction sought by a pathological liar.
Confabulation is another disorder where lying is common. A person with this disease may make up stories to fill a memory lapse. Lies are commonly related to amnesia and are usually related to recent memory loss. During the confabulation, the patient knows that she is lying, unlike in pseudofantasy where amnesia is absent.
Factitious disorders involve lying about symptoms, both psychological and physical, to convince health care professionals that a person is ill. Ganser syndrome is one such disorder in which a patient might undergo numerous tests or surgery in an attempt to prove an illness. Feigning illness is not included as a symptom of pathological lying, which means that the disorder does not fully fit Ganser syndrome because the morbid liar’s stories are usually not intentional or knowingly done.
Psychologists are divided on whether mythomania is a primary disorder or secondary to some other mental illness. Lying is common in several mental illnesses, including borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and narcissism, but pathological liars do not meet most of the criteria for these recognized disorders. Some psychologists believe that fantastical pseudology may derive from childhood fantasy that is carried into adulthood. Studies have also shown a possible link with central nervous system disorders in some patients.
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