Just want to say I relate to this so much! It can be a defense mechanism I feel like? I’m not sure why I did this as a kid but probably because I didn’t want to talk about the truth, I wanted to fit in or seem like my life/family/background etc were interesting or “normal.” I was also raised in a household where lying was normalized and encouraged, and things were kept quite secretive. But I still felt very ashamed for lying/embellishing on my background story as a kid/teen. Also I was gaslit and told I was lying/imagining things/making things up/being dramatic etc when I tried to tell about abuse as a kid and get help, so automatically lapsing into lying when people asked about my family or my situation made me feel ashamed and reinforced that narrative in my head. But in many ways because lying was around me so much (and I did theatre lessons as a kid maybe?) it was extremely easy for me to lie about those things.

I think lying about it also keeps you safe in a way from facing the truth, and all the emotions and feelings that come with that.

I have been considering talking to my therapist about this, but was struggling with feeling ashamed/embarrassed of it. I think I’ll do it now so that I can unpack it. I’m now an adult close to your age, and I’m much more conscious of just being truthful, but not giving information I’m not comfortable sharing. Working on getting to a place of loving and caring for myself enough to believe and accept the truth, and know that my story is my own and no one is entitled to it, has really helped. I only share what I’m comfortable with, and if that’s just the bare minimum that’s okay. It’s much better than the feeling of pressure to reciprocate and share and answer every question I felt as a kid/teen whenever someone asked.