The Truth About Lying in Addiction & Relationships

In this latest episode on Conversations on Sex Addiction and Relationships, the team dives into a tough but essential question: Why do addicts lie and are they even aware they’re doing it?   Tim Stein, Dan Drake, and Wendy Conquest, unpack how lying often starts as an early survival strategy rooted in trauma, where being fully authentic didn’t feel safe. Over time, this evolves into patterns of denial, omission, and “motivated reasoning,” where the brain unconsciously twists reality to avoid discomfort, conflict, or shame. The hosts explore why even small lies can deeply damage trust, how ongoing dishonesty erodes relationships more than the truth itself, and what it actually takes to rebuild honesty in recovery. If you’ve ever struggled to understand dishonesty in addiction or felt the impact of it in a relationship, this episode offers real insight and clarity.   Listen or watch the full episode on Conversations Podcast, and don’t forget to follow and share to help others find these conversations.