Why would someone lie with great detail and emotion about his past?

he tries to be a good husband and dad, works hard and supports the family, but i have uncovered a complex and lengthy web of outrageous lies he has told me since the day we met about his past...everything from being friends with certain celebrities to crying about his war injuries and time in viet nam...painted himself as a hero who bodyguarded important dignitaries to very specific purple hearts, etc...i've learned in the last 2 weeks that there is not one drop of truth to any of it...don't tell me to ask him...he started seeing a mental health professional, but i dare not confront him with these lies..too alarmingly shocking...he doesn't know i know the truth...he tells the same lies to friends, family and strangers..WHY? WHY? WHY? what mental illness would cause this?
Answer:
My ex was and still is the same. He is a pathological liar, and I believe the proper medical term is psychopath. He did the mental health professional thing but then stopped it, although he kept up the pretence of still attending and benefiting from it. His parents were unable to help him throughout his childhood and when he got older they buried their heads in the sand. Although he was a great guy and I loved him dearly, but every now and again, he became violent and for my safety and the children's we had to leave him. Ignoring the problem didn't help and confronting him certainly didn't. This is a professional problem that you are inadequate to deal with and it makes you look bad to other people too, unfortunately. A word of warning, keep on your toes with your children because they will or may have the same tendencies. If they are young, go out of your way to double check everything they claim and confront them if you notice a similar pattern. Good luck with this and try to take comfort with the fact that it is a mental problem that was there long before you came on the scene.

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Shame..lack of feelings of accomplishment.

Are either of his parents or siblings like that? The apple doesnt fall too far from the tree

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Maybe hes just a compulsive lier. I know a few people like that, they're constantly telling bullshi.t lies.

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Some people have a medical condition where they seek sympathy or attention/praise.

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maybe post traumatic disorder i think its called. Maybe he did live some of this stuff and is trying to hide it. Maybe he is embarresed about what he wrote or just wants to forget all about it. Maybe he didn't tell you his past because you may of not accepted him for who he was when you met him. Other types of mental illness that could cause this is a disorder where a person makes up a lots of lies to be center of attention. Maybe he wanted people to be intrested in what he did or what he said. I am not a professional, so i am not sure. I lived a horrible past with my first husband, there are things that my second hushgand found out from a friend that i didn't tell him. He was angry and confused, but i sat down with him and talked it through. Maybe telling him that you stumbled onto the website and saw what you saw. Just ask him about what you read and saw, maybe he will open up without you confronting him to much. Good luck and i hope it works out.

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He just wants people to think he is Mr. great and all. Maybe it is for attention, or that he has just wishes he had done those things in his life. He feels better about himself when he can make people believe he was such a wonderful individual. I am glad he is seeking professional help. I wonder if he will be able to manipulate them too?

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Hey there. It could be social anxiety. Maybe he feels so self conscious and unfufilled about his past that when he meets people he find the need to spice it up. When you ever meet someone totally new, do you ever feel compelled to overexagerate or tell them something not true to make them think your 'cooler'? I mean, I know I've said stuff to people just to impress them before.. I for one dont like being rejected and I like attention and for people to look up to me, and I think he wants the same. It must be soo tough to sit back there and hold your tongue! Have you talked to his mental specialist about this and for him to maybe discuss it with him? I think he just wants to flatter himself and get attention.. and really theres not a whole lot wrong with that except for the way he's doing it. I think you should just privately meet with his specialist and discuss a way you two can figure this out. It will probably frustrating for your hus. especially since in his mind he's told these stories so many times, they might actually appear real to him. I know its tough hon, but I think you've gotta get something figured out. Good luck to all of you and take care!

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