Understanding ADHD And Lying

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder and form of neurodiversity that impacts children and adults. ADHD symptoms may include inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, which can interfere with how a person functions at school or at work. For some individuals with ADHD, symptoms may also impact interpersonal relationships due to lying and forgetfulness. 

Although there is no cure for ADHD, managing symptoms is often possible. By working with a mental health professional, individuals with ADHD may develop effective coping strategies to manage impulsive behavior, improve executive function, and increase focus. Coping strategies designed to improve overall symptoms may also benefit individuals who experience ADHD and lying. 

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The link between ADHD and lies

ADHD and lying may be connected or linked in a few key ways. Individuals with ADHD may experience difficulty in managing executive functions such as organizing thoughts and remembering details, as well as impulse control. An ADHD lie can be accidental due to forgetting a detail or crucial information, which can inadvertently result in misinformation.  

What the research says

Research and scientific evidence show that individuals with ADHD may also experience difficulty with emotional dysregulation. In some cases, dysregulation could increase compulsive lying or lying to manage consequences associated with emotional dysregulation. Managing ADHD symptoms and increasing ADHD education may be starting points when reducing lying in individuals with ADHD. 

What types of lying are associated with ADHD?

Like all individuals, people with ADHD may lie for various reasons, and lies may include small white lies or more extensive and complex lies. Three types of lies that may be associated with ADHD include the following. 

Impulsive lying

Individuals with ADHD may lie because of reduced emotional regulation and challenges with impulse control. While individuals without ADHD may filter out a lie before saying it, individuals with ADHD may struggle to use self-control. 

Forgetful ADHD lie

In some cases, ADHD lies happen without awareness that a lie is happening. For example, a person may set a meeting time or say they will accomplish a task. However, due to forgetfulness symptoms, they may forget to follow through. 

Avoidant lying

In some cases, individuals, especially children with ADHD, may lie as a coping mechanism to avoid punishment. This type of lying might happen after a period of hyperactivity where the person experiences disruptive symptoms or has difficulty staying calm. 

Each type of lying may happen more frequently in individuals with ADHD than in individuals without ADHD. However, lying is not an official symptom of ADHD, and all individuals with ADHD are not prone to lying. Rather than being a symptom of ADHD, lying may be a result of situations that a person is in due to ADHD symptoms. 

Impact of lying on individuals with ADHD

Individuals with ADHD can experience unique challenges regarding honesty and deception. Lying is often a complex behavior that various factors and situations can influence. Individuals with ADHD who lie may face social, emotional, academic, or work-based consequences. Socially, it may be difficult for someone who lies often to build and maintain relationships. It can be challenging to get to know someone or build a friendship or romantic relationship if one doesn’t believe they can trust the other person. 

What happens when individuals with ADHD lie?

ADHD lying may also cause feelings of guilt or shame in some individuals because a person with ADHD may lie due to impulsivity or forgetfulness and may not be lying on purpose. This challenge may negatively impact self-esteem as feelings of guilt become internalized. These feelings may be present for anyone who lies, not just individuals with ADHD. 

For individuals who have ADHD, lying may also cause problems at work or, for children, at school. In the workplace, colleagues may lose trust for one another if a coworker lies, accidentally or intentionally. A missed meeting time or forgotten task may negatively impact performance and production at work, which may also cause strain between coworkers or their supervisor.

Strategies to stop lying behavior in individuals with ADHD

Managing lying behavior in individuals with ADHD can often begin with identifying symptoms causing the lying behavior in the first place. Not all lying is caused by ADHD symptoms, and a person with ADHD may lie intentionally, just like individuals without ADHD. However, if a person is lying due to ADHD symptoms, reducing the impact of ADHD symptoms may also reduce lying. 

Treatment options for ADHD are individualized and may include a varied and multifaceted approach. A few strategies for managing ADHD symptoms to reduce lying behavior include the following. 

Lying trackers

In some cases, tracking lying may help people with ADHD start to realize when the behavior is occurring.

Medication for ADHD symptoms

For some individuals with ADHD, a doctor or psychiatrist may recommend medication. Medications can often improve concentration and are designed to help a person with ADHD focus better and for more extended periods. These medications may also positively impact impulsivity, which could help a person with ADHD think about what they are going to say before saying it, which may reduce lying. 

Consult a medical doctor before starting, changing, or stopping a medication for any condition. The information in this article is not a replacement for medical advice or diagnosis. 

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a technique that allows individuals with ADHD to focus their thinking in the moment. Strategies to improve mindfulness include journaling, deep breathing techniques, meditation, and yoga. These techniques might reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity in individuals with ADHD, which may also reduce lying. 

With mindfulness, techniques can be broken down into two areas: techniques to manage symptoms in everyday life and techniques to recenter a person in the moment or in real-time. For example, journaling, meditation, yoga, and reflection can reduce symptoms on a daily basis. Deep breathing or taking a sensory inventory can support a period of high stress or overstimulation. 

Lifestyle changes

In addition to medication and mindfulness techniques, making lifestyle changes may allow an individual to manage symptoms of ADHD, which may reduce how much a person with ADHD lies. One lifestyle change shown to reduce ADHD symptoms effectively is exercise. Getting moving, even for a short period, can help a person with ADHD manage hyperactivity and impulsivity while increasing attentiveness.

On top of getting exercise, a person with ADHD may reduce symptoms by eating nutritious foods and getting quality sleep.  Both can provide a foundation for the brain to function more effectively and efficiently. 

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Therapy and other mental health services for ADHD and lying behavior

While the other changes on this list rely on reducing ADHD symptoms to manage lying behavior, working with a therapist or mental health professional can help a person with ADHD manage symptoms and specifically target lying behavior. A therapist may work with you to develop a holistic approach, such as teaching you mindfulness techniques, helping you implement lifestyle changes, and providing thought-based coping mechanisms to reduce lying. 

Effectiveness of online mental health services for managing ADHD symptoms

With the integration of technology into mental health practices, therapy does not have to happen in person. Online therapy through platforms like BetterHelp has been shown to be effective at helping individuals manage symptoms of ADHD. For some individuals with ADHD, especially those who are experiencing difficulties with lying, a therapist may use cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in conjunction with other strategies during an online therapy session. CBT is a therapy technique involving identifying harmful or maladaptive thoughts, such as a desire to lie, and replacing those thoughts with more productive ones. 

For individuals with ADHD, driving to a new location and attending in-person therapy sessions can be overwhelming and may be stressful. One benefit of online therapy is that a person can attend therapy sessions from any location with an internet connection at a time that fits their schedule. Online therapy can also provide more flexibility when choosing a therapist because you are not limited to a therapist near you.