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Managing relationships

Do I need help with lying?

Do I need help with lying?

Hi all. First post.. I am really struggling with my MH today and I need to talk to someone. I have been in the most amazing relationship for the last 4 months, long distance but we have been able to spend a couple of amazing holidays together and he's planning on moving here in one month.

Recently I messed up. I told a lie about my past with dating, when we started dating and he's now found out. I thought I did it to protect him from unessesary problems, but when confronted I found myself digging myself deeper in a lie after lie about all sorts of things from my past, and it was all found out. I've not slept or eaten in 2 days and have completely broken his trust, although these things happened in my past he is now convinced I am sneaking around behind his back and have been for our entire relationship. He hadn't ended it but also feels I dont love him or respect him or want to be with him. I am torn up and don't know how to prove myself to him. He also brought up concerns that im a Sociopath and pathological liar and im now wondering if he's right. Why did I lie so much? Why was I so adamant about hiding who I used to be and is this something I need to seek help for? And what kind of help?

Sorry if it seems convoluted happy to address any questions. I just really need some help. I can't eat or sleep and he's in another country so I can't be thec

3 replies

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In response to: Do I need help with lying?

Re: Do I need help with lying?

Hi @Haykay and welcome to the forums

I can hear how deeply this is affecting you and I'm glad you've been able to reach out and connect here.

It could be useful to reflect and consider why you didn't feel able to tell your partner the truth in those moments. There are lots of reasons why people lie. While it would be ideal for us all to be truthful 24/7, we are human might find ourselves in situations where lying feels like a safer option than the truth.

Has lying been an issue for you in the past? From what you've shared it sounds as though you lied about something and then this snowballed to protect the lie, is that right? If so, that's a messy situation to be in, but I think it's one that many people can relate to.

In response to: Re: Do I need help with lying?

Re: Do I need help with lying?

Thank you for replying @Ru-bee

If im being honest I think white lies have started to become something I find myself telling lately. Even to the extent of if I dont want to follow through on plans with a friend, im afraid that isn't good enough so I need to make something up that sounds more reasonable instead of just not feeling like it. I've been in situations where people have lied and it snowballed and I hated it and feel the same way he is feeling.

In this instance, I was afraid he would see me in a different light than the one he already saw me in and it frightened me to lose him. And now I've made it inevitable. I'm unsure how to make amends when he's so far away

In response to: Re: Do I need help with lying?

Re: Do I need help with lying?

hey there @Haykay welcome to the forums!!

i'm sorry to hear that things have been quite rocky with your partner lately. i think we've all had our moments of hiding the truth to avoid hurting someone's feelings or saying little white lies to avoid trouble. unfortunately, those moments can backfire, and the truth tends to come out no matter how hard we try to delay it. the important part is that you've acknowledged it's impact and you're here trying to make amends, so good job on taking that first step!

perhaps having a conversation with him about how you can build back trust would be helpful? in situations where my trust was broken, i've first needed space and time to process it, and then had a conversation to see how we can rebuild it. for example, i've asked my friend 'even if the truth's going to hurt me, i'd rather hear it earlier from you than later and/or from someone else' - this communication helped my friend understand that i valued honesty over 'potentially getting hurt' and the more she was forward about things over time, the more i began to trust her again.

just know that trust does take time to rebuild, and that's okay. it's a necessary part of healing, and it seems like a part of him wants to rebuild that trust eventually too if he's chosen to stay. communicating to him why you felt the need to lie and how you feel, while also listening to his pov can help you both form a better understanding and come up with a way to reassure each other/start rebuilding trust.

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