Hello,
You are suffering from the lie's of your sister-in-law, it is affecting the entire family. You are concerned about it. Characteristics or personality trait of pathological liars are excessive lying, with time it can become a long term problem. Individuals with this personality trait may lie about innocuous things. Her symptoms may be indicative of narcissistic pathological lying, but when it begins to interfere with someone’s personal life or the lives of family members around them, it is suggested to get her connected to a therapist or other trained mental health professional. She needs treatment.
Pathological lyres may have imbalance of hormone-
cortisol ratio. Narcissistic pathological liars may lie for attention, to feel superior to others or to manipulate others for the purposes of self-gain. People suffering from
OCD may also manifest similar traits. Lying can be a true compulsion in a person with OCD. Research studies reveal that people suffering from
anxiety disorders may lie to protect themselves from anxiety triggers or to handle things like a fear(of whatever surrounds them).
Those with
antisocial personality disorder might compulsively lie to manipulate the people around them, hurt their feelings or otherwise cause harm.
Substance abuse, Insecurity, social status are other potential factors for lying. You should help your sister-in-law by putting her under treatment. However, that too is a challenge because pathological liars aren’t in control of their lying. They may start telling lies to the therapist instead of addressing the problem directly. She needs
psychotherapy.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Nupur K., General & Family Physician