^^^^^This right here^^^^^
My first day going to Al-Anon (which I did at my XAGF's request), they gave me a talk and a pamphlet.
It said point blank. In 3rd person words.
I am an alcoholic. I will be lying to you. Don't believe anything that I say. Forgive me because I can't help myself.
The person who introduced me later chatted with me and this topic came up.
Lying is like drinking. They can't live without it. They have to do one in order to keep doing the other.
That right there, summed it up pretty quickly for me.