•A Lycodraconic Werewolf's Experience With Clinical Lycanthropy and Therianthropy•

•Greetings to those of you who have stumbled upon this post. I have written a resource detailing the vital things to know regarding clinical lycanthropy, clinical zoanthropy, and its false relations to the therianthropy community. As someone who both identifies as therian and suffers from clinical lycanthropy, I wanted to write a resource provided from the perspective of someone who actually suffers from clinical lycanthropy in order to discuss the subject and debunk misinformation. The resource as details why therian and otherkind identity are not related to clinical lycanthropy in of themselves. This resource may be edited at a later date to add any new information to the resource. Do feel free to ask my being additional questions about clinical zoanthropy or clinical lycanthropy. l will always answer all good faith questions. Feel free to share this post around with any other individuals.

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•https://luunaathh.dreamwidth.org/13167.html

Genuine question for clinicals who are able to double book-keep (I think that's the right term, please forgive me if it isnt I'm not clinical) have you ever had an experience where your body was shifting but you could feel that it was still physically human? Or did it feel like your body was literally changing into an animal and couldn't at all tell that it was still physically human?

This may be a dumb question but im curious! Let me know please!

(constructive criticism or information is greatly appreciated!)

Anyone else have internal transformations ? Like I can feel my vocal cords change sometimes and can't talk when it's happens, even if my visible body isn't changing

Quite nervous for tonight’s full moon. Full moons are stressful for many I’m sure, so good luck to my fellow ‘thropes!

Were draws. Tried to be a little closer to life

never have i felt more at home purring

Clinical lycanthropy

Clinical lycanthropy (CL) falls under the umbrella of Delusional Misidentification Syndrome (DMS). DMS is a collection of delusions involving misidentification of others, the self, objects, or places. In the case of clinical lycanthropy, it is a delusional misidentification of the self. People with CL believe that they are an animal, or are transforming into one.

The animal doesn't have to be a wolf or werewolf, though canines are the most common - there have been case reports of CL involving snakes, cats, cows and even bees. (Technically, CL has many different names depending on what animals are involved - e.g., CL involving dogs is called kynanthropy, cows is boanthropy, cats is ailuranthropy, and multiple animals (or general/unspecified animal transformation) is zoanthropy). CL occurs all over the world, and the animals involved are often significant in the culture(s) of the person with CL - for example, CL involving rabbits in the US, where rabbits are popular pets, foxes in Japan and hyenas in Africa. Guessoum et al. theorise that CL is a culture-bound syndrome (reflective of culture).

CL is a somatic delusion, meaning it involves the body. Hallucinations can be part of CL, for example: feeling or seeing hair growing on the body, or teeth sharpening into fangs. Some people with CL see themselves transforming when they look in the mirror. Some people don't hallucinate their transformations, but they have "body schema illusions" (i.e., feel like their body has changed).

There is often overlap with other DMS delusions, particularly other delusional misidentifications of the self. Some people, with or without CL, believe that others have transformed into animals. There have been more than a few cases of people with CL and Cotard's, where they believe they or their organs are dead or dying. Often, a person will cycle through different DMs, sometimes reoccuringly.

Sometimes, the act of transformation in CL, or the strength of the delusion, is dependent on the phases of the moon. There has historically been an association with psychosis and the moon, especially when it's full - this is where we get the word "lunatic" from.

Clinical lycanthropy is associated strongly with mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and sleep disorders (particularly obstructive sleep apnea). It may be associated with stress and trauma, and can manifest symbolically. For example, a person who goes through abuse and feels dirty and worthless might develop clinical kynanthropy (dog) as a psychotic reaction to trauma. Or a person who goes through abuse might develop clinical kynanthropy as a reaction to their need for love and attention.

Sources:

Guessoum et al., Clinical Lycanthropy, Neurobiology, Culture: A Systematic Review, Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2021.

Blom, When Doctors Cry Wolf: A Systematic Review of the Literature on Clinical Lycanthropy, History of Psychiatry, 2014.

Garlipp et al., Lycanthropy - Psychopathological and Psychodynamical Aspects, Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavia, 2004.

Calling all Shifters! I'm talking to you endels, clinical lycanthropes (and other animals of course), physically identifying nonhumans, etc. Please spread this poll so I can get a broader response

Saw someone reblog and tag my post as #therianthropy so heres your reminder im not a therian. None of my experiences are from the perspective of a therian. Im a cat in my blood and bones and muscles. I see and feel it all.

I dont mind yall interacting, but please dont label me talking about transformations as “therian” posts.

As it gets colder, I quite like my thick fur. It can help when its harsh and i feel an undercoat sprouting around. Helps insulate more if I accidentally under dress or whatever.

Itll only help for so long the colder it gets though. Winters can get very freaky here.

Creature of the night

I miss farm life tbh. I miss the chill farmers old wife leaving out little dishes if the mice was getting boring. The farm dogs thatd play with us if they werent on duty themseves. Sleeping between haybales curled up between the fuzzy bodies of friends family or maybe never seen before, but were all silently part of this big sorts of “clan”. Giving the nursing queens an extra bird. Go around the horses and cows and sheep, dazzled and always curious by their size. The smells, the openess and togetherness even between not my own species.

Its the life. And the farm isnt the only territory but it’s definitely my favorite.

Ah to be a kitty prancing through fields covered in a blanket of morning dew, pouncing on creatures out to get the first seeds and worms.

Feeling a little stifled (?) lately.

Feeling shifty… I have cat lips and nose. Some whiskers growing. Hands fighting to become paws.

Id really like if I could not fully transform bc im already sore and tired from work but man just feeling clenchy and twitchy and ugh.

Researching my urge to bury things important to come back for or like ive never been there

Yeah that explains the urge pretty well

Teef!

Fixed up the one lower tooth. Took a few tries to get the mold to set right… but i think ill start wearing the bottom ones too more.

Maybe ill be less mistaken for a vampire