I think some of the points in the medical article below is spot on, especially the part about anxiety disorders. After regularly subjecting yourself to WT fear mongering, how could that NOT elicit an anxiety disorder?
Mental Health Disorders That Contribute to Pathological Lying
Some of the mental health disorders that cause or contribute to pathological lying include:
- Narcissistic personality disorder. Also called NPD, narcissistic personality disorder manifests as arrogant and self-centered behavior with little regard for other people’s feelings. Narcissistic pathological liars may lie for attention, to make themselves feel better, to feel superior to others or to manipulate others for self-gain.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a mental disorder that features intrusive thoughts and feelings, obsessions, and a strong urge to perform certain behaviors or compulsions. In some cases, there are ties between OCD and compulsive lying. Lying can be a true compulsion in a person with OCD experiences, or it can be a negative coping method.
- Anxiety disorders. Anxiety can manifest in numerous ways, from acute episodes to more generalized anxiety. While pathological lying isn’t a defining feature of anxiety as it is with other disorders, such as NPD, anxiety and compulsive lying can sometimes go hand in hand. People with anxiety disorders may lie to protect themselves from anxiety triggers or to handle things like a fear of rejection.
- Antisocial personality disorder. Antisocial personality disorder is a serious diagnosis that often involves manipulation and cruelty toward others for the sake of personal amusement. It’s often associated with psychopathy. Those with APD might compulsively lie to manipulate the people around them, hurt others’ feelings or otherwise cause harm.