Why Isn “Compulsive Lying” In The Index Of The Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders?
Question submitted February 5, 2005: My wife is a social worker. Her niece’s behavior includes compulsive lying. My wife has tried to find compulsive lying in DSM IV to learn more about it, but without success. Can you tell me where compulsive lying is discussed in DSM IV or some other authoritative description of the characteristics of a compulsive liar? CyberShrink’s answer posted 2-7-05: Speaking generally, and without reference to your wife’s niece (about whom we know next to nothing), a specific repeated behavior, such as lying, is not in and of itself, a “disorder”. It may be a symptom of more than one disorder. The term “compulsive liar” suggests that lying is not within the conscious control of the person who does presumably frequent lying — compulsion being the significant term. The Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders, Fourth edition (DSM-IV) is not a list of descriptions of behaviors or symptoms. It is a compendium of mental disorders which are defined by p
