Is pathological lying a part of bipolar disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? It seems like a game to my spouse to see whether he can get away with lying, whether big or small.

L.V.

Pathological lying is not an inherent characteristic of bipolar disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). That is, people with bipolar disorder or ADHD are no more or less likely to lie than are people with most other psychiatric disorders, or people without psychiatric disorders, for that matter. The exception might be when someone with bipolar disorder is in such a manic state that they lose touch with reality and report -- and believe -- things about themselves and other people that aren't true, but such statements are a manifestation of delusions rather than a conscious intent to deceive.

The condition that's most associated with pathological lying is sociopathy or antisocial personality disorder, which is characterized by a lack of regard for others' feelings and manipulating others for personal gain (or sometimes just plain amusement). People with antisocial personality disorder also frequently have erratic work histories and substance abuse problems and may engage in criminal activities. I suppose people with antisocial personality disorder can also have ADHD or bipolar disorder, but there's no inherent connection.

One other condition sometimes associated with lying is dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple personality disorder (MPD). People with DID are sometimes accused of lying because they deny engaging in activities others have witnessed them doing. They may not be consciously lying, however, if they engaged in the behavior while in a dissociated state -- for instance, as one of their dissociated aspects of self, or alternate personalities -- and have no conscious memory of it.