Why do some people lie even when telling the truth would be easier? Most of us have been dishonest at some point, but what happens when lying becomes a repeated pattern—sometimes without an obvious reason or benefit? In this episode of Life Lived Better, Joseph and Paula explore compulsive and pathological lying, including what may drive chronic dishonesty, the roles of shame, insecurity, learned behavior, and self-protection, and the important difference between understanding a behavior and excusing it.

Our co-hosts also look at what happens on the other side of the lie. Repeated dishonesty can leave partners, friends, and family members questioning not only what they're being told now, but everything they've been told before. Joseph and Paula discuss manipulation and gaslighting, confronting someone about dishonesty, the exhausting role of becoming the “detective” in a relationship, whether compulsive lying can change, and what it really takes to rebuild trust. Most importantly, they explore a difficult truth: you can understand why someone lies, care deeply about them, and still decide that honesty is a requirement for having access to your life.

Questions? If you have questions, you would like Joseph and Paula to address during an upcoming episode of Questions for Counselors, feel free to reach out through the website at ⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠ or email them directly at ⁠Info@lifelivedbetter.net⁠

You can find information about this and other episodes on the website: ⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠.

Just a reminder - Anything shared during this and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice - it is solely our opinion. Information shared does not represent our employers or profession.

Remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.

Resources used to create the episodes on this topic:

Pathological Lying: Theoretical and Empirical Support for a Diagnostic Entity - PMC

Pseudologia Fantastica - PubMed

Pseudologia fantastica: a systematic review of sociodemographic features and psychiatric comorbidities - PMC

In this Mental Health Moment, I am discussing - Naming Emotions.

You can find information about this and other episodes on the website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Just a reminder - anything shared in this, and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice and is solely the opinion of the individual and does not represent their employers or profession.

If you have a topic, you would like us to address in a future Mental Health Moment, let us know. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Info@LifeLivedBetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us. And remember, Knowledge Leads to a Life Lived Better.

In this Mental Health Moment, I am discussing - Naming Emotions.

You can find information about this and other episodes on the website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Just a reminder - anything shared in this, and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice and is solely the opinion of the individual and does not represent their employers or profession.

If you have a topic, you would like us to address in a future Mental Health Moment, let us know. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Info@LifeLivedBetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us. And remember, Knowledge Leads to a Life Lived Better.

What happens when the person you considered a sister uses your deepest vulnerabilities as social currency to isolate you?

In this episode, Joseph and Paula dive deep into the devastating world of friendship betrayal. Our hosts read a heart-wrenching email from an anonymous listener whose 10-year friendship unraveled through a secret group chat, character assassination, and intense gaslighting.

Together, the co-hosts unpack the psychological mechanics behind why people betray the ones they love, how to spot the warning signs of devaluation, and how to identify the manipulation tactic known as DARVO when confronting a toxic friend. More importantly, they provide a step-by-step roadmap for the aftermath: how to soothe your nervous system, handle the collateral damage of a fractured friend group, and use the "Slow-Pour" method to safely rebuild your self-trust.

If you’ve ever had a foundational relationship reveal itself to be a lie, this episode is your safe space to heal.

Questions? If you have a question, you would like Joseph and Paula to answer during an episode of Questions for Counselors, feel free to reach out through the website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email them directly at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Info@lifelivedbetter.net ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can find information about this and other episodes on the website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Just a reminder - anything shared by the pair during this and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice and is solely the opinion of the individual and does not represent their employers or profession.

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us. And remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.

Resources used to develop this episode:

Conflict Resolution Skills – HelpGuide.org

Friendship Betrayal: Emotional Impacts by People We Trust | Psychology Today

What If You’re Not Ready to Forgive? Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkley

Why Our Friends Should Betray Us and How to Feel Worthy After | Psychology Today

In this Mental Health Moment, I am discussing - The Connection Between Music & Mental Health.

You can find information about this and other episodes on the website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Just a reminder - anything shared in this, and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice and is solely the opinion of the individual and does not represent their employers or profession.

If you have a topic, you would like us to address in a future Mental Health Moment, let us know. Email us at ⁠⁠Info@LifeLivedBetter.net⁠⁠

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us. And remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.

156

In this Mental Health Moment, I am discussing - Boundaries Vs Ultimatums.

You can find information about this and other episodes on the website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lifelivedbetter.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Just a reminder - anything shared in this, and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice and is solely the opinion of the individual and does not represent their employers or profession.

If you have a topic, you would like us to address in a future Mental Health Moment, let us know. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠Info@LifeLivedBetter.net⁠⁠⁠

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us. And remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.

True crime has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment, but what happens when our brains spend hours immersed in stories of murder, kidnapping, violence, and betrayal? In this episode of Life Lived Better, Joseph and Paula explore why we’re so fascinated by true crime and what repeated exposure to frightening stories may do to our perception of the world. From morbid curiosity and the availability heuristic they examine the line between being informed about danger and beginning to expect it everywhere.

The conversation also tackles the ethics of turning real human suffering into entertainment, the potential for both empathy and desensitization, and the binge-worthy storytelling techniques that keep us clicking “next episode.” Rather than arguing that people should stop watching true crime, our co-hosts encourage listeners to pay attention to how the content affects them before, during, and after they consume it. Ultimately, the question isn’t whether true crime is inherently “good” or “bad,” but whether what we repeatedly put into our minds is changing how we experience our lives and the people around us.

Questions? If you have questions, you would like Joseph and Paula to address during an upcoming episode of Questions for Counselors, feel free to reach out through the website at www.lifelivedbetter.net or email them directly at Info@lifelivedbetter.net

Just a reminder - Anything shared during this and all other episodes is based on personal experiences and opinions. It is not to be viewed as professional counseling or advice - it is solely our opinion. Information shared does not represent our employers or profession.

We would love for you to rate our show and tell others about us.

And remember, Knowledge leads to a Life Lived Better.

Resources used to create this episode:

Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases - PubMed

Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency - Healthy Sleep Habits | NHLBI, NIH

The Scary World Syndrome: News Orientations, Negativity Bias, and the Cultivation of Anxiety