I do agree with Ericsson's definition of this lie? "DELUSION" I have personally experience this type of lie in my adult age. My experience with this type of lie comes from my twin sister. She a alcoholic and a addict. She no longers use's drugs but seems to still drink. Like it says alcoholics who believe that the problemsin their lives are legitmate reasons for drinking rather than the results of the drinking offer the classic example of deluded thinking.
I have been through a lot of "Delusion Lies" through out my life time taking care of her. I have come to terms in believing her sometimes, because alcoholics if you tell them they are wrong especailly when they have been drinking they will argue with you until their blue in the face and will not let the subject go!
So, yes I have come to the conclusion in my heart she is lying and let it go out of one ear to the other. It's pretty sad they become so immune to their lying that is until they except they are alcoholics and get the help they need.
Hi Francesca,
ReplyDeleteI think delusions are sometimes the toughest kinds of lies to address. The delusional person has replaced “reality” with the delusions. Ericsson argues that “delusion uses the mind’s ability to see things in myriad ways to support what it wants to be the truth.” People do this all the time as a way to keep “the status quo intact”, yet it’s the extreme cases that we notice.
What’s difficult with these different ways of lying is that not all are conscious. Addictions seem to play on the body’s natural tendencies at a deeply unconscious level to distort reality and make the lies real.
Help is certainly needed in cases like this where what is “real” is no longer distinguishable from the fantasies our minds’ create.
It must be difficult seeing your sister this way.
Take care,
Lauren
Hi Francesca,
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Ericsson’s definition of this lie. “Delusion” I too have personal experience with a this type of Lie. It amazes me that most people that use this kind of lie have some form of ether mental illness or addiction. My grandfather was an alcoholic, and I must say he would tell some pretty delusional lies to get what he wanted. The interesting part it that he believed that he was telling the truth. I not sure what is sadder, the lies that he would tell for self preservation or the fact that he believed them. I know in our family we would never take the lie personally because we knew that we were dealing with an addiction. I also had to give some thought to what Ericsson said about Delusion being a survival mechanism, when you think about it I am sure that people who are placed in really horrible situations, probably use delusion as a defense or they might not make it through there situation or be able to function. So I guess you could say that Delusion could be helpful in some case, but most of the time it is just preventing you from living in your truth.
Hi Francesca,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing such a personal experience. Sometimes it helps to share personal expreiences. Plus, it gives other people new things to think about.
My father is an alcholic as well and I so can relate to your frustrating when it comes to delusional lies. It's very hard to have a relationship with someone who is "delusional" but we can't choose our family:-) I also agree with Stacy when she stated "delusional lies" stem from some sort of mental illness or addiction. It's so true. It seems it goes hand in hand.
Again, Thanks for sharing your personal experiences!
Dina Dodd
Hi Francesca,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that you have had to deal with this type of lie in your life, or should I say a lot of it. I can say that I have dealt with the this type of lie also, I have a family member in the same situation, its like they are justifying all of there lies and make so many excuses about there lies that they are telling. Its tiring and it gets old real quick. Its just unfortunate that people live there lives like this and in a way you cannot help them until they help themselves. Its like an illness.
I hope that you do not have to deal with it to much and that this reading helped you understand that it is not okay for people to lie to you. I know that it helped me realize that its pointless to try and figure out why there are lying.
thanks for the post, it was nice to be able to read it and know that I am not the only one that has dealt with a drunk.
Emily
First I would like to say how cool it's that you have a twin sister. I have always wanted to have a twin don't why just wanted one. I don't know how you feel about that wanting a twin. It's great that you help out your twin and delusion lies do complicate many things. I do not have the same experience as you but my family does like to be delusion. When is comes to who is right and wrong. Our family can never be wrong so it leads to funny conversations about one side trying to be right when wrong and the other side just breaking down anything they say; in the end it leads to people laughing.
ReplyDelete