Expert Weighs In On Why 27-Year-Old May Be Lying And Stealing

Courtney claims that she has a mental illness and because of it, her life is “very, very hard.” She says that she struggles with relationships and trust, can’t keep a job and hasn’t received her high school diploma. She also admits that she steals and tells “a lot” of lies.

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Are bipolar and ADD — what she claims she’s been diagnosed with – really causing her to act out in this manner? Dr. Frank Lawlis, Chairman of the Dr. Phil Advisory Board, weighs in on Courtney’s condition and says that these conditions do not explain Courtney’s behaviors.

“They talk about other issues, but basically, we’re not talking about the kind of behaviors that they have been describing,” Dr. Lawlis tells Dr. Phil on Monday’s episode.

“There is a category of dysfunction such as personality disorder, for example, that might explain this, correct?” Dr. Phil asks.

“Yeah. The way I see it is, basically, Courtney is dealing, is using, an emotional intelligence of about 13,” Dr. Lawlis explains. “Now, what could this relate to? It could relate to the drugs. It could be related to the way she’s been raised, in terms of the family. But we come down to the same issue is it’s a developmental process.”

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Hear more from Dr. Lawlis and Dr. Phil in the video above, including an explanation of what a personality disorder is.

This episode airs Monday. Watch more here.

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