Clinical Lycanthropy, Delusions, Shapeshifting and Therianthropy

[Taylarn]

Many people would believe that therians are a milder form of clinical lycanthropy, or that therianthropy is a mental disorder yet unrecognized by modern society. I disagree with both of these beliefs, as clinical lycanthropy is completely different from therianthropy, and even if they look similar they have very different traits and signs.

Clinical lycanthropy is defined as a psychological disorder in which a person believes they are, have already become or are transformed into an animal. Therianthropy is a condition or identity in which a person identifies as a non-human animal on an integral level.

Therianthropes typically see themselves as being an animal on an integral and personal level. Most therianthropes have always felt like an animal ever since they were little, and grow up with these feelings. Even if they awaken to them later in life, they were always there, and the signs were always there. Many therians have to figure out what these feelings mean and what animal they are through a process called introspection. Some therians have spiritual explanations for their animalistic experiences, while others have psychological reasonings, with a controversial minority feeling they have physical genetic traits that explain their therianthropy. Most therianthropes can at least acknowledge their human body, if not the current reality they are living in, and many can function in society without a lot of problems. There is no cure for therianthropy.

Most clinical lycanthropes are entirely human before their clinical lycanthropy sets in. They identify as human, see themselves as human, and want to be human once more. Many cases of clinical lycanthropy have a sudden onset, with the beliefs and behavior of the clinical lycanthrope gradually becoming more and more delusional with time. Some clinical lycanthropes do not believe they've transformed, but feel they are an animal in the here and now. The animal form a clinical lycanthrope takes is assumed to be an outlet for hidden or condemned urges they cannot express in any other way, and these behaviors often lead to violent or otherwise stereotypical animal behavior. Clinical lycanthropy can be cured and managed with antipsychotics, and often goes away after these medications are administered.

I actually disagree with the idea that clinical lycanthropy has anything to do with therianthropy innately. Most clinical lycanthropes are disconnected from reality in a way where they would be unable to function properly in society. I've heard of clinical lycanthropes who believe they've been cursed to be an animal and lack transformation beliefs yet still qualify as delusional because of the strange sudden onset of these beliefs, and their inability to keep it under wraps and their often advocated urge to attack others. Whereas even the most shift-eager therians rarely express a desire to harm others because they will be shifting into an animal, and oftentimes therians struggle to shift. It's not an easy, spontaneous process, whereas for clinical lycanthropes it can be extremely easy, with some even "shifting" in public without a care in the world.

Even if a therian does believe they can physically shift that wouldn't qualify as a delusion unless it was seriously affecting their day-to-day life and they couldn't manage, or were attacking people. Sure, many people would argue otherwise, but that is a key difference that distinguishes therianthropes from the violent or depressed lycanthropes. One keeps to themselves and can alter their beliefs as new info comes in, the other is forthright about shapeshifting and often goes about these things in an unhealthy and disorganized manner. These differences are also what distinguishes therianthropy from being any sort of mental disorder- most therianthropes are psychologically healthy despite identifying as an animal, and can reason and function in society.


Can one be a clinical lycanthrope and a therian? Absolutely, though I feel it would be rare. Clinical lycanthropy is a psychological disorder that involves psychotic elements, so just like how a therian could be diagnosed with anxiety and then be anxious and a therianthrope, a therian could be diagnosed with clinical lycanthropy and still be a therian. Therianthropy is an identity, clinical lycanthropy is a psychological disorder.

In short, the differences between all are as follows: clinical lycanthropy is a psychological disorder in which a person suddenly experiences being an animal in a psychotic way which poses a threat to themselves or other people, whereas therianthropy is an identity in which a person feels they are a non-human animal on an integral level. Shapeshifting beliefs are not automatically harmful or a threat, and only qualify as such if they're harming a person or otherwise causing distress or making it impossible to function. One can be a clinical lycanthrope and a therian, or delusional and a therian, but they're not innately related or the same.

Sources:

Kattimani, S, Menon, V., Srivastava, M.K. & Aniruddha Mukharjee, A. (2010). Ophidianthropy The case of a woman who ‘turned into a snake’. Psychiatry Reports. Located at: http://www.priory.com/psychiatry/ophidianthropy.htm

Fahy, T.A. (1989). Lycanthropy: A review. Journal of Royal Society of Medicine, 82, 37-39.
Located at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1291962/pdf/jrsocmed00154-0049.pdf

Shrestha, R. (2014). Clinical Lycanthropy: Delusional Misidentification of the “Self”. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 26:1, E53-E54
Located at: https://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.13030057

[Silver Black]

Thank you SO MUCH for posting this, it will clarify a lot for people.  * mega hug. thank you for your contribution. I needed this. 

[Taylarn]

Thank you SO MUCH for posting this, it will clarify a lot for people.  * mega hug. thank you for your contribution. I needed this. 

You're welcome! I notice that many people seem to think that modern therianthropy (especially when talking about shapeshifting) is just a milder form of clinical lycanthropy, but almost every journal on clinical lycanthropy and its effects seems to contradict this comparison, so I wanted to discuss it. Unless therianthropy is a mild psychotic disorder one's born with (in which case it's amazing that we all can manage without medication and therapy) I see no reason to lump the two together.

[Liudan]

I do agree it is quite rare, at least rare in the sense of being heard of but not rare in the sense of it happening. Not so long ago there has been a flux in therians who shun their human side and simply say they're a [insert animal] and to the extent of lashing out or acting like said animal in their daily lives in a psychotic way that has shown to be a danger to themselves and those around them.

I wouldn't call it clinical therianthropy but it can be considered a mental illness that they so happened to somehow find their way into therianthropy and take it to a dangerous level.

[Rune]

Love this article, I'm pretty sure my mum must have thought this when she went to the doctor behind my back.

[Silver Black]

Love this article, I'm pretty sure my mum must have thought this when she went to the doctor behind my back.

Mine did the same thing for me * hug    ........ ...ONE week of hell in the hospital with actual cray cray fuck nuggets

[Rune]

Not for me, the doc just told her if I wasn't hurting myself or others, it was ok

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