The 8 effects of mythomania on relationships

Have you ever heard of mythomania? It is a pathological disorder whose main symptom is the tendency to fabricate, to transform reality or, ultimately, to lie compulsively.

In couple relationships, this disorder, suffered by one of the two members of the relationship, can lead to have very negative consequences, which involve suffering and discomfort (especially for the partner of the mythomaniac).

In this article, in addition to explaining in more detail what this disorder consists of, We will know 6 effects of mythomania in couple relationships.

• Related article: "The Lying Brain: Do We Really Know Why We Do What We Do?"

What is mythomania?

Before delving into the effects of mythomania on relationships, let's define what mythomania is. Mythomania (also called pathological lying or fantastic pseudology) consists of a behavior characterized by recurrent and compulsive lies.

Generally, this type of lies (which are quite implausible, although they can be believed, as we will see more forward), provide some type of advantage or benefit to the person who says them (for example, attention, money, company, etc.).

The term mythomania was first described in medical literature by the German psychiatrist Anton Delbrueck, in 1989, and was later used by the French psychiatrist Ernest Dupré.

Although it is a controversial (and very complex) concept, the truth is that many experts in the field consider that mythomania the invention of stories occurs unconsciously, and furthermore, these stories tend to be implausible and therefore easy to understand. refute. However, there are mythomaniacal people who can intentionally lie.

According to studies, in relation to prevalence, mythomania affects men and women equally.

Characteristics of mythomania

As we saw, in mythomania, invented events are often not very credible events, that is, unlikely. This is because frequently these are stories that, even if they are not true, have some real, true detail.

On the other hand, they are highly formulated lies, which leads to think that the mythomaniac person thinks a lot about all the probabilities of the event when explaining it, as well as in its circumstances, contextual characteristics, etc.

It should be clear that the mythomaniac's lies are not delusions or another possible symptom of psychosis. On the other hand, mythomaniacs can tell the truth in the case of a lot of pressure.

• You may be interested: "The 5 types of couples therapy"

Why happens?

Why do mythomaniacs lie? To begin with, it must be clarified that their tendency to tell lies is usually chronic or, at least, very long-lasting over time.

Furthermore, the act of lying is not produced by any social pressure or by an immediate trigger, but rather by a type of disturbance in personality (for example a histrionic personality disorder), coupled with a lot of insecurity, low self-esteem and / or need of attention.

Through the lies mythomaniacs often tell stories that leave them in good stead, or that make the people around you pay much more attention (because they say they are seriously ill, for example).

Now, going into the love field, we are going to see what the effects of mythomania can be in couple relationships.

The effects of mythomania in romantic relationships

What happens when one of the two members of the couple is mythomaniac? The effects of mythomania in relationships can be very diverse, although what is clear is that the relationship can (and usually) be highly damaged. Here we have collected some of these effects:

1. Conflicts and misunderstandings

The first effect of mythomania, whether or not it is within a relationship, is the appearance of conflicts. This occurs for several reasons; first of all, what lies are usually discovered sooner or later (As that saying goes "you catch a liar before a lame one"), which ends up generating distrust in the couple.

On the other hand, the stories explained that are not true, can cause certain misunderstandings or confusion in the relationship, because at the end of the day it is about implausible stories, which may make the listener think that her partner is not really well, that she is confused, or may not even understand why to do that.

2. Distrust

Another of the effects of mythomania in romantic relationships is, logically, the already mentioned mistrust.

When we meet someone, and especially at the beginning, trust is essential; If they lie to us from the beginning and we find out, the relationship will start to build from mistrust, which can be fatal, creating insecurities in one of the members of the couple, causing him to suffer, not to believe in the relationship, etc.

3. Legal issues

If the mythomaniac's problem is serious, legal problems may even appear that directly affect the couple. This can derive from multiple situations where the lie is the protagonist.

This type of problem can arise for example, with a lie that little by little has been getting bigger.

4. Dissatisfaction and discomfort

Mythomania also often triggers a significant sense of dissatisfaction and discomfort in the partner (that is, in both partners).

This originates because in the end, depending on the severity and frequency of the lies, the relationship (and the life of the mythomaniac) is being built on the lie, so it is not an honest and sincere relationship. Thus, people who have a relationship with a mythomaniac can suffer a lot.

5. Culpability

The next of the effects of mythomania in relationships is guilt in the partner of the mythomaniac. As many times the mythomaniac tells stories where he appears as a victim, this can end up triggering a feeling of guilt in the partner, logically related to the type of stories that he hears from his partner.

What's more, stories are often more elaborate and serious, with which its direct effects can also be aggravated.

6. Breaking off

Finally, the last of the possible effects of mythomania in couple relationships to highlight is the break (derived, in turn, from other points already discussed).

The breakup can appear for various reasons: because the couple discovers the pathological lies of their partner, because they do not understand her behavior, because she feels betrayed, etc.

Bibliographic references:

• Casas, R. & Zamarro, A. (2011). Mythomania in today's clinic. About a case. AEN Magazine.
• De la Serna, J.M. (2017). The Mythomania: Discovering the Liar. Tektime.
• Dike, C.C. & Baranosky, M. (2005). Pathological lying revisited. Journal Acad Psychiatry Law, 33 (3): 342-9