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•Many greetings to those who stumble upon these writings of mine. My name is Luunaathh and I am a lycodraconic werewolf who is deeply connected to a divine, celestial draconian being by the same name. I am also a two-spirit indigenous Mesoamerican individual upon this earth. This resource that I am writing details important information regarding clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy as delusional disorders/psychiatric syndromes. There exists far too much misinformation surrounding clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy in the alterhuman community. As someone who suffers from clinical lycanthropy and identifies as therian, I wish to dispel the rumors and misinformation surrounding clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy by presenting factual information regarding all subjects being discussed. Feel free to share these writings around with others and cite these writings in resources, social media posts, articles, and essays with proper credit. A small disclaimer, the usage of the word "therianthropy" in these writings does not refer to the medical and mythological connotations of the word, though rather strictly refers to being therian, identifying in some way, shape, or form as an animal or nonhuman being. Any usage of the word "therianthropy" in this essay refers only to the experience of therian identity. The usage of the word "disorder" used in reference to clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy in these writings is used by the definition of "An abnormal condition that affects the body and mind's proper functioning" and "A clinically significant disturbance in a person's cognition, behavior, or emotional regulation" not necessarily implying an officially known or recognized mental health disorder.
•It is important to begin these writings by properly defining clinical lycanthropy. Clinical lycanthropy, also referred to as lycomania, is the psychosis-based delusion where an individual believes they are in the process of physically transforming into a wolf and/or dog or believes that they have already transformed into a wolf and/or dog either fully or partially. Clinical lycanthropy is considered a subsection of the wider psychiatric syndrome named "clinical zoanthropy", which is the psychosis-based delusion that one is physically turning into a nonhuman animal or that one has already become a nonhuman animal either fully or partially. Both psychiatric syndromes previously mentioned fall under the medical label "delusional misidentification syndrome", which is a medical disorder encompassing multiple related disorders categorized by the false misidentifying with a person, object, or animal. Other delusional disorders included in this label are psychiatric syndromes like mirrored self-identification, which is the delusion that an individual's reflection in the mirror is a different, sentient person. Reduplicative paramnesia, which is the delusion that a commonplace or recognized individual, object, environment, or body part has been duplicated in some manner. The Capgras delusion, which is the delusion that an individual's spouse, loved one, or friend has been replaced by an identical-looking and acting imposter. Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are considered extremely rare forms of "reverse-inter metamorphosis", a psychiatric syndrome characterized by delusions and/or hallucinations of physically transforming into a nonhuman being or animal. There exist other subsections of clinical zoanthropy such as clinical cynanthropy, clinical boanthropy, clinical kynanthropy, and clinical ailuranthropy. Clinical lycanthropy can manifest in the continuous delusion that an individual is biologically or genetically a wolf or dog, the delusion that one is turning into a wolf or dog during periods of severe emotional or psychotic distress, and the delusion that one is turning into a wolf or dog during entirely random points throughout the day and night. Clinical lycanthropy hallucinations, delusions, and perceived physical transformations can happen in many different ways. Individuals can hallucinate that they are transforming only specific parts of their body at a single time, believe that their brain is genetically that of a wolf's or dog's, believe that their internal organs are genetically of a wolf's or dog's, hallucinating pain from bones and skin supposedly transforming, or an individual can believe that their physical DNA is that of a wolf's or dog's DNA. All the symptoms previously stated are only common symptoms and experiences of clinical lycanthropy and do not encompass every experience with the delusional disorder. All of the aforementioned also applies to general clinical zoanthropy, with the exception being clinical zoanthropy encompasses experiencing delusions of transforming into any animal, not just a wolf or dog. Clinical lycanthropy is an incredibly rare psychiatric syndrome and almost always appears in individuals who have pre-existing psychotic disorders, psychotic symptoms, mood disorders, or exceptionally severe trauma. Many clinical zoanthropy sufferers understand that their beliefs and hallucinations of physical shifting are caused by having clinical zoanthropy. In some severe cases, however, an individual suffering from symptoms of clinical zoanthropy or clinical lycanthropy does not know that their delusions or hallucinations of physically shifting into an animal are actually caused by a delusional disorder. This sometimes leads to an individual being hospitalized due to their clinical zoanthropy symptoms posing a danger to themselves or to others and leaving them unable to properly function in daily life.
•Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are most commonly associated with four main disorders, schizophrenia, schizoaffective, schizotypal, and bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by visual hallucinations, voices, psychosis, delusions, mania, depression, and self-harm behavior. Some schizophrenia patients experience religious delusions, disassociation, and catatonia. Schizoaffective is a disorder characterized by visual hallucinations, voices, psychosis, delusions, mania, mood swings, severe depression, and disorganized thinking. Schizoaffective disorder combines symptoms of schizophrenia, mood disorders, and severe depression, which makes the disorder especially severe and difficult to manage. Schizoaffective disorder can be difficult to diagnose in an individual since the disorder combines aspects of mood disorders such as bipolar and borderline personality disorder with symptoms of schizophrenia and depression. Schizotypal, also called schizotypal personality disorder is a mental health condition characterized by consistent social avoidance, difficulty properly engaging in social situations, severe anxiety, disorganized or bizarre thinking patterns, eccentric behavior, and occasionally psychosis. Schizotypal is considered a personality disorder, individuals with said disorder can have severe difficulties making connections with people, interacting with people, or feeling comfortable in social situations. Schizotypal is related to schizoid personality disorder. Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by severe mood swings, depressive lows and energetic highs, mania, reckless or dangerous behavior, and compulsive behaviors. Individuals suffering from bipolar disorder can experience meltdowns, hypomania, and hypermania. Though bipolar disorder is not classified as a psychotic disorder, in certain rare cases, an individual with bipolar disorder can exhibit symptoms of psychosis or delusions. All four of these disorders are most commonly diagnosed in individuals experiencing clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy, oftentimes they are the root cause of an individual's symptoms of clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy. Each of these disorders can severely affect an individual's behaviors, interactions, beliefs, and thought processes. Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are often treated and managed by prescribing medication, coping mechanisms, and cognitive behavioral therapy meant to treat the root disorders causing clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy.
•Clinical Lycanthropy is not the same as therianthropy or being otherkind, unlike what some medical professionals and misinformed individuals will say. Medically, clinical lycanthropy is the psychosis-based delusion that an individual is physically turning into a wolf or dog or has already physically become a wolf or dog fully or partially. Medically, clinical zoanthropy is the psychosis-based delusion that an individual is turning into an animal or has already physically become an animal fully or partially. Clinical lycanthropy is not the same as believing that an individual was a wolf or dog in a past life, a wolf or dog in a concurrent life, believing that one was meant to be incarnated as a wolf or dog, believing that an individual is a wolf or dog in soul/spirit, or an individual having a psychological wolf or dog theriotype. Otherkinity and therianthropy are based in personal experiences, non-disorder-based psychological phenomena, experiences with identity, and personal beliefs, not medical disorders or mental symptoms. It would be an extremely disingenuous stretch for any medical professional or individual to state that every single individual in the therian and otherkind communities are either lying to themselves about their experiences regarding identifying as nonhuman or for a medical professional to state that individuals who identify as therian or otherkind can be classified as having a mental disorder, on the sole basis that they experience otherkinity and/or therianthropy. Clinical lycanthropy and zoanthropy are strictly medical and are classified as psychiatric syndromes and/or delusional disorders. Therian and otherkind identities are not disorder-based and do not imply the symptoms of a mental disorder, with the rare exception of endel identity. Otherkinity and therianthropy are classified as either identity or general personal beliefs, they do not inherently fall under any medical categories. Having a non-traditional belief or identity does not mean that an individual is wrong about believing their experiences are genuine or wrong about their perception of themselves. Having a non-traditional belief or identity also does not imply that an individual is experiencing delusions or symptoms of a psychotic disorder. Some medical professionals assume that therian identity and otherkin identity do fit the category of clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy because nonhuman identifying individuals believe that they are non-physically nonhuman and exhibit non-traditional behaviors and beliefs not exhibited in humans who do not identify as alterhuman. This is mainly due to the fact that they do not believe in the validity of therian and otherkin identity. Medical professionals are not obligated to believe in the personal beliefs of others, though categorizing said personal beliefs as a mental disorder seems counterproductive and even wrong. I doubt that this will ever be recognized in the wider medical community, since many medical professionals look at experience, identity, and psychological phenomena from a strictly scientific lense, however such a sentiment is still important to recognize both inside and outisde the medical community to encourage acceptance, understanding, and open mindedness of individuals with non-traditional animal beliefs.
•In some cases, clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are seen as "fun" or "edgy" aesthetics in the therian and otherkind communities. Commonly, individuals will label their posts about nonhumanity and their general experiences with nonhumanity as "clinical lycanthropy" or "clinical zoanthropy" because they either personally identify with the medical term, romanticize the psychiatric syndrome, or misunderstand the syndrome entirely. Some individuals will continue to label their posts discussing nonhumanity as "clinical lycanthropy" and "clinical zoanthropy" knowing what the psychiatric syndromes actually are and despite not suffering from either conditions. Individuals will also make animal aesthetic posts or images using the label "clinical lycanthropy" or "clinical zoanthropy" for the same reasons mentioned before and to garner more attention as an additional reason. The aforementioned actions are morally reprehensible. Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are almost always caused by a severe medical disorder such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar disorder, and schizotypal. These mental disorders make life incredibly difficult and full of misery for any individuals who suffer from them, in many different ways. Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy themselves are serious medical syndromes that negatively impact an individual's life and require psychiatric treatment, they are not something to romanticize or downplay in any way, shape, or form. Said syndromes are not just another form of otherkinity or alterhumanity, they are severe medical conditions that need to be treated as such and recognized as such.
•There have been reports of clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy throughout documented history and across all manner of human cultures. Clinical lycanthropy is sometimes classified as a "culture-bound disorder" and hence needs to be approached with a cultural standpoint or approach when the situation calls for such. Some cases of clinical zoanthropy and clinical lycanthropy have been directly influenced by culture, mythology, and superstition. Clinical zoanthropy has been observed and studied in all continents. In the centuries before proper scientific development and enlightenment, cases of clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy created delusions in affected individuals that matched with pre-existing cultural stories and superstitions about werecreatures and other animals. These factors still sometimes influence symptoms of clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy today, even with scientific knowledge widely available. Clinical lycanthropy episodes or hallucinations can sometimes appear during certain moon phases in certain individuals influenced by aspects of western mythology concerning the werewolf. Some individuals with clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy may develop an aversion to certain objects, elements, or herbs described in culture and superstition to repel or harm werecreatures and other entities. Clinical ailuranthropy and clinical kynanthropy can also occasionally be influenced by the same western werewolf mythology. In cultures where other predator animals besides the wolf are prominent such as tigers, jaguars, lions, leaopards, bears, and monkeys, there exist rare cases of clinical zoanthropy surrounding said animals, sometimes influenced by cultural stories and cultural superstitions pertaining to said animals.
•There are very few officially diagnosed cases of clinical lycanthropy, however many non-diagnosed cases of clinical lycanthropy/zoanthropy have been studied and recognized by professionals in the medical community. Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are oftentimes just a symptom or sub-disorder of a more severe and prominent disorder like schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar, and schizotypal. The aforementioned disorders are usually treated by psychiatrists to reduce symptoms of said disorders, usually treating symptoms of clinical zoanthropy by default. There is some debate among medical professionals regarding whether clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy can be categorized as medical disorders the same way disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are, though clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are described as psychiatric syndromes in the DSM-5. It is extremely rare that clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are the only prominent mental syndromes/disorders being treated in an individual. Sometimes, clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy are never diagnosed in an individual because they have already been diagnosed with a more severe disorder. Having a diagnosis is also something many individuals cannot receive due to not having the finances to see a psychiatrist or the ability to even see a psychiatrist. Medical professionals believe that symptoms of clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy purely stem from a more severe diagnosed disorder. So, clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy oftentimes remain undiagnosed, it is oftentimes officially diagnosed only in incredibly severe cases where clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy symptoms are most prominent and/or overtaking an individual's life. Additionally, clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are usually only medically studied in severe cases where an individual needs to be committed to a mental hospital due to said individual posing a danger to themselves or to others, or leaving them unable to properly function in daily life as a result of their severe symptoms.
•If it was not obvious by the title of this excerpt, I suffer from a genuine case of clinical lycanthropy upon this earth. I am not officially diagnosed with clinical lycanthropy, as I have already been professionally diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder: depressive type, attention deficit disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and severe post-traumatic stress disorder. My psychiatrist has stated that he does not wish to add an extensive amount of diagnosis to my medical record. I have also not been admitted to a mental hospital solely because of clinical lycanthropy symptoms like nearly all diagnosed cases of clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy have. During periods of severe emotional distress, during psychotic episodes, and during times when I am off my medication, I encounter strong delusions that I've either physically become a werewolf or that I'm turning into a werewolf. On occasion, when I am threatened or feel that my life is in danger, I will express aggressive animal behaviors alongside the accompanying thought that I am or will be transforming into a wolf physically. Sometimes these delusions manifest into the false thoughts that I need to escape to somewhere "safe" or "spiritually powerful" in order to properly complete a transformation into a wolf. These episodes are often followed by violent command voices, visual hallucinations of turning into a wolf, and severe hallucinated phantom pain in my bones. During these periods of perceived transformations, I express aggressive and fearful animal behaviors and express animal noises like screeching, hissing, and even roaring. These episodes of clinical lycanthropy often result in my being becoming violent towards myself, inanimate objects, or my general surroundings. Even though I become violent towards inanimate objects and myself during these episodes, I am not a danger to other people or other living things unless I am attacked by them first. I am more of a danger to myself than to others. During random periods throughout any given day when I'm not experiencing a psychotic episode or a period of severe emotional distress, I find myself hallucinating phantom pains of my bones physically shifting into that of a wolf's. I also occasionally find myself in mindsets where I entirely believe that I have either been physically transformed into a wolf or am currently transformed into a wolf, feeling these phantom shifting sensations and/or having visual hallucinations of some kind of physical transformation. These episodes happen more often when I am off my medication or taking my medication irregularly. My clinical lycanthropy is caused by my diagnosed schizoaffective disorder: depressive type. Schizoaffective is a disorder that combines aspects of schizophrenia, mood disorders, and severe depression. I am able to separate my experiences with clinical lycanthropy and the experiences I encounter as a result of my werewolf theriotype, the two are not the same. My experiences with clinical lycanthropy are caused by psychosis and delusions, while my therianthopy is spirituality-based. I am able to separate my experiences with therianthropy and clinical lycanthropy, just as I am able to differentiate reality from a delusion or a symptom of my psychotic disorder. Suffering from clinical lycanthropy does not make my being unable to differentiate reality from fiction, it simply means that I have to overcome specific challenges in my path of self-discovery.
•There exists a certain stigma surrounding individuals who suffer from psychotic disorders and clinical zoanthropy in the alterhuman community. Many people in said community do not think that someone with a psychotic disorder or clinical zoanthropy can truly know their kintype or true self due to mental symptoms. They will often attribute a psychotic individual's nonhuman experience as being part of a severe mental disorder, clinical lycanthropy, or a god complex. Individuals with psychotic disorders may often have more hurdles to encounter during awakening and self-discovery, though that does not mean that someone with a psychotic disorder cannot properly know their otherkinity. There may be some cases of individuals with psychotic disorders being wrong about their identity as a result of the symptoms they experience, though that does not apply to everyone in the alterhuman community with a psychotic disorder. The implication that an individual with a psychotic disorder is unable to discover their otherkind identity or therian identity because they suffer from said disorder is incredibly ableist. It is blatant discrimination purely on the basis of someone's mental disorder and mental symptoms. Additionally, individuals with clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are also not unable to discover their kintypes or true selves just because they suffer from said delusional disorders. Most clinical zoanthropes are able to separate their experiences with otherkind identity and their delusional symptoms. To present an example, an individual with clinical lycanthropy who has a wolf or werewolf theriotype still has the capability to distinguish therian experiences from their clinical lycanthropy. Clinical zoanthropy does not always affect an individual's theriotypes or their perception of said theriotypes, the syndrome can be entirely separate from a theriotype.
•There are false correlations made between clinical lycanthropy and therianthropy in both the otherkind community and the medical professional community, conflating clinical lycanthropy and therian identity/experience as the same experience or as experiences which are very similar. In truth, there should be no correlation made between clinical zoanthropy and therianthropy. Therian identity and experience is not a delusion, while clinical lycanthropy/zoanthropy is a delusion. Therian identity and having animal theriotypes is not a negative experience or a hindrance on an individual's life, while clinical lycanthropy/zoanthropy is a hindrance on an individual's life, preventing them from interacting with others properly, preventing them from completing daily tasks, and preventing them from dispelling delusional thoughts. Clinical lycanthropy is also strictly medical and strictly a psychiatric syndrome/delusional disorder.
•In addition to the myth that clinical lycanthropy and therianthropy are related, there also exists the myth stating that transspecies individuals or individuals with species dysphoria meet the categories of clinical lycanthropy. This assumption is prominent in the medical community due to medical professionals regarding therian identity, otherkind identity, and the experiences encountered by said groups simply as delusions or false beliefs. Species dysphoria is a very common experience among otherkind identifying individuals as a result of feeling a disconnect from their current body, feeling dissatisfied with their current body or appearance, and missing one's previous nonhuman body. The aforementioned does not imply a mental disorder or can be defined as being a symptom of a delusion or mental disorder. Individuals who identify as transspecies feel that they identify more with the appearance or body of an animal/their nonhuman kintype and wish to receive body modifications to create a more nonhuman appearance that an individual would be satisfied with. Though it is a non-traditional belief, being transspecies is not a medical disorder, having experiences with being transspecies does not mean an individual is experiencing delusional or psychotic symptoms. Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy should not be labels or disorders forced onto individuals with species dysphoria or individuals who identify as transspecies.
•There is an experience in the alterhuman community defined as "endelity", which is defined as an alterhuman identity or kintype that is based on, rooted in, or heavily influenced by delusions and/or psychotic symptoms. It is also defined as having an alterhuman identity created as a result of psychotic symptoms or delusions. While this aspect of alterhuman identity is valid, it is not in of itself the same as clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy. Not every delusion or psychotic symptom surrounding animals meets the criteria of clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy. Additionally, not every delusion or psychotic symptom that either heavily influences or creates an endelic identity stems from clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy. There may be some rare cases where endelic-identifying individuals have their kintypes influenced by symptoms of clinical zoanthropy they experience, though that only happens in some cases. Otherwise, otherkind identity is not based on delusional symptoms or psychosis symptoms like clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy.
•There is a bit of a general overlap between clinical lycanthropy/zoanthropy symptoms and the physical shifting community commonly scorned in the alterhuman/otherkind communities. Both individuals who suffer from clinical zoanthropy and individuals in the physical shifting community hold beliefs in being able to physically shift in some way, shape, or form. However, it is important to keep in mind that clinical lycanthropy/zoanthropy is explicitly a psychosis-based delusion, not everyone in the physical shifting community has a psychotic disorder, or even has a mental disorder to begin with. Additionally, not all clinical lycanthropes or clinical zoanthropes want to be associated with the physical shifting community. Most clinical lycanthropes and clinical zoanthropes understand that their symptoms, delusions, and hallucinations are caused by a psychiatric syndrome. Individuals in the physical shifter community believe themselves to be transforming into something nonhuman as a result of magic, metaphysical phenomena, or otherwise pseudo-scientific phenomena. Most clinical lycanthropes and clinical zoanthropes recognize their experiences as hallucinogenic and/or caused by psychological phenomena, not experiences caused by magic or pseudo-science.
•To end these writings, it is important to be properly educated on the subjects of clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy, especially for individuals in the therian and otherkind communities. Any level of misinformation regarding clinical zoanthropy, romanticization of the psychiatric syndrome/ delusional disorder, or assumptions made about individuals suffering from the syndrome can be incredibly harmful for individuals who suffer from clinical zoanthropy. It additionally creates false information surrounding the syndromes themselves. It is my hope that this educational information is able to be used in a positive manner to encourage the understanding, tolerance, and acceptance of individuals like myself who suffer from clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy.
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𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒔
•Front Psychiatry. "Clinical Lycanthropy, Neurobiology, Culture: A Systematic Review". 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘦, 11 Oct 2021-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8542696/
•Shrestha, Rajeet. "Clinical Lycanthropy: Delusional Misidentification of the 'Self'". 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘕𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴, 1 January 2014-https://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.13030057
•(No listed author). "Schizophrenia". 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩, May 2023-https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia
•Jain, Ankit. Mitra, Paroma. "Bipolar Disorder". 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘉𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 20 Feb 2023-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558998/
•It is important to begin these writings by properly defining clinical lycanthropy. Clinical lycanthropy, also referred to as lycomania, is the psychosis-based delusion where an individual believes they are in the process of physically transforming into a wolf and/or dog or believes that they have already transformed into a wolf and/or dog either fully or partially. Clinical lycanthropy is considered a subsection of the wider psychiatric syndrome named "clinical zoanthropy", which is the psychosis-based delusion that one is physically turning into a nonhuman animal or that one has already become a nonhuman animal either fully or partially. Both psychiatric syndromes previously mentioned fall under the medical label "delusional misidentification syndrome", which is a medical disorder encompassing multiple related disorders categorized by the false misidentifying with a person, object, or animal. Other delusional disorders included in this label are psychiatric syndromes like mirrored self-identification, which is the delusion that an individual's reflection in the mirror is a different, sentient person. Reduplicative paramnesia, which is the delusion that a commonplace or recognized individual, object, environment, or body part has been duplicated in some manner. The Capgras delusion, which is the delusion that an individual's spouse, loved one, or friend has been replaced by an identical-looking and acting imposter. Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are considered extremely rare forms of "reverse-inter metamorphosis", a psychiatric syndrome characterized by delusions and/or hallucinations of physically transforming into a nonhuman being or animal. There exist other subsections of clinical zoanthropy such as clinical cynanthropy, clinical boanthropy, clinical kynanthropy, and clinical ailuranthropy. Clinical lycanthropy can manifest in the continuous delusion that an individual is biologically or genetically a wolf or dog, the delusion that one is turning into a wolf or dog during periods of severe emotional or psychotic distress, and the delusion that one is turning into a wolf or dog during entirely random points throughout the day and night. Clinical lycanthropy hallucinations, delusions, and perceived physical transformations can happen in many different ways. Individuals can hallucinate that they are transforming only specific parts of their body at a single time, believe that their brain is genetically that of a wolf's or dog's, believe that their internal organs are genetically of a wolf's or dog's, hallucinating pain from bones and skin supposedly transforming, or an individual can believe that their physical DNA is that of a wolf's or dog's DNA. All the symptoms previously stated are only common symptoms and experiences of clinical lycanthropy and do not encompass every experience with the delusional disorder. All of the aforementioned also applies to general clinical zoanthropy, with the exception being clinical zoanthropy encompasses experiencing delusions of transforming into any animal, not just a wolf or dog. Clinical lycanthropy is an incredibly rare psychiatric syndrome and almost always appears in individuals who have pre-existing psychotic disorders, psychotic symptoms, mood disorders, or exceptionally severe trauma. Many clinical zoanthropy sufferers understand that their beliefs and hallucinations of physical shifting are caused by having clinical zoanthropy. In some severe cases, however, an individual suffering from symptoms of clinical zoanthropy or clinical lycanthropy does not know that their delusions or hallucinations of physically shifting into an animal are actually caused by a delusional disorder. This sometimes leads to an individual being hospitalized due to their clinical zoanthropy symptoms posing a danger to themselves or to others and leaving them unable to properly function in daily life.
•Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are most commonly associated with four main disorders, schizophrenia, schizoaffective, schizotypal, and bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by visual hallucinations, voices, psychosis, delusions, mania, depression, and self-harm behavior. Some schizophrenia patients experience religious delusions, disassociation, and catatonia. Schizoaffective is a disorder characterized by visual hallucinations, voices, psychosis, delusions, mania, mood swings, severe depression, and disorganized thinking. Schizoaffective disorder combines symptoms of schizophrenia, mood disorders, and severe depression, which makes the disorder especially severe and difficult to manage. Schizoaffective disorder can be difficult to diagnose in an individual since the disorder combines aspects of mood disorders such as bipolar and borderline personality disorder with symptoms of schizophrenia and depression. Schizotypal, also called schizotypal personality disorder is a mental health condition characterized by consistent social avoidance, difficulty properly engaging in social situations, severe anxiety, disorganized or bizarre thinking patterns, eccentric behavior, and occasionally psychosis. Schizotypal is considered a personality disorder, individuals with said disorder can have severe difficulties making connections with people, interacting with people, or feeling comfortable in social situations. Schizotypal is related to schizoid personality disorder. Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by severe mood swings, depressive lows and energetic highs, mania, reckless or dangerous behavior, and compulsive behaviors. Individuals suffering from bipolar disorder can experience meltdowns, hypomania, and hypermania. Though bipolar disorder is not classified as a psychotic disorder, in certain rare cases, an individual with bipolar disorder can exhibit symptoms of psychosis or delusions. All four of these disorders are most commonly diagnosed in individuals experiencing clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy, oftentimes they are the root cause of an individual's symptoms of clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy. Each of these disorders can severely affect an individual's behaviors, interactions, beliefs, and thought processes. Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are often treated and managed by prescribing medication, coping mechanisms, and cognitive behavioral therapy meant to treat the root disorders causing clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy.
•Clinical Lycanthropy is not the same as therianthropy or being otherkind, unlike what some medical professionals and misinformed individuals will say. Medically, clinical lycanthropy is the psychosis-based delusion that an individual is physically turning into a wolf or dog or has already physically become a wolf or dog fully or partially. Medically, clinical zoanthropy is the psychosis-based delusion that an individual is turning into an animal or has already physically become an animal fully or partially. Clinical lycanthropy is not the same as believing that an individual was a wolf or dog in a past life, a wolf or dog in a concurrent life, believing that one was meant to be incarnated as a wolf or dog, believing that an individual is a wolf or dog in soul/spirit, or an individual having a psychological wolf or dog theriotype. Otherkinity and therianthropy are based in personal experiences, non-disorder-based psychological phenomena, experiences with identity, and personal beliefs, not medical disorders or mental symptoms. It would be an extremely disingenuous stretch for any medical professional or individual to state that every single individual in the therian and otherkind communities are either lying to themselves about their experiences regarding identifying as nonhuman or for a medical professional to state that individuals who identify as therian or otherkind can be classified as having a mental disorder, on the sole basis that they experience otherkinity and/or therianthropy. Clinical lycanthropy and zoanthropy are strictly medical and are classified as psychiatric syndromes and/or delusional disorders. Therian and otherkind identities are not disorder-based and do not imply the symptoms of a mental disorder, with the rare exception of endel identity. Otherkinity and therianthropy are classified as either identity or general personal beliefs, they do not inherently fall under any medical categories. Having a non-traditional belief or identity does not mean that an individual is wrong about believing their experiences are genuine or wrong about their perception of themselves. Having a non-traditional belief or identity also does not imply that an individual is experiencing delusions or symptoms of a psychotic disorder. Some medical professionals assume that therian identity and otherkin identity do fit the category of clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy because nonhuman identifying individuals believe that they are non-physically nonhuman and exhibit non-traditional behaviors and beliefs not exhibited in humans who do not identify as alterhuman. This is mainly due to the fact that they do not believe in the validity of therian and otherkin identity. Medical professionals are not obligated to believe in the personal beliefs of others, though categorizing said personal beliefs as a mental disorder seems counterproductive and even wrong. I doubt that this will ever be recognized in the wider medical community, since many medical professionals look at experience, identity, and psychological phenomena from a strictly scientific lense, however such a sentiment is still important to recognize both inside and outisde the medical community to encourage acceptance, understanding, and open mindedness of individuals with non-traditional animal beliefs.
•In some cases, clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are seen as "fun" or "edgy" aesthetics in the therian and otherkind communities. Commonly, individuals will label their posts about nonhumanity and their general experiences with nonhumanity as "clinical lycanthropy" or "clinical zoanthropy" because they either personally identify with the medical term, romanticize the psychiatric syndrome, or misunderstand the syndrome entirely. Some individuals will continue to label their posts discussing nonhumanity as "clinical lycanthropy" and "clinical zoanthropy" knowing what the psychiatric syndromes actually are and despite not suffering from either conditions. Individuals will also make animal aesthetic posts or images using the label "clinical lycanthropy" or "clinical zoanthropy" for the same reasons mentioned before and to garner more attention as an additional reason. The aforementioned actions are morally reprehensible. Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are almost always caused by a severe medical disorder such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar disorder, and schizotypal. These mental disorders make life incredibly difficult and full of misery for any individuals who suffer from them, in many different ways. Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy themselves are serious medical syndromes that negatively impact an individual's life and require psychiatric treatment, they are not something to romanticize or downplay in any way, shape, or form. Said syndromes are not just another form of otherkinity or alterhumanity, they are severe medical conditions that need to be treated as such and recognized as such.
•There have been reports of clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy throughout documented history and across all manner of human cultures. Clinical lycanthropy is sometimes classified as a "culture-bound disorder" and hence needs to be approached with a cultural standpoint or approach when the situation calls for such. Some cases of clinical zoanthropy and clinical lycanthropy have been directly influenced by culture, mythology, and superstition. Clinical zoanthropy has been observed and studied in all continents. In the centuries before proper scientific development and enlightenment, cases of clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy created delusions in affected individuals that matched with pre-existing cultural stories and superstitions about werecreatures and other animals. These factors still sometimes influence symptoms of clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy today, even with scientific knowledge widely available. Clinical lycanthropy episodes or hallucinations can sometimes appear during certain moon phases in certain individuals influenced by aspects of western mythology concerning the werewolf. Some individuals with clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy may develop an aversion to certain objects, elements, or herbs described in culture and superstition to repel or harm werecreatures and other entities. Clinical ailuranthropy and clinical kynanthropy can also occasionally be influenced by the same western werewolf mythology. In cultures where other predator animals besides the wolf are prominent such as tigers, jaguars, lions, leaopards, bears, and monkeys, there exist rare cases of clinical zoanthropy surrounding said animals, sometimes influenced by cultural stories and cultural superstitions pertaining to said animals.
•There are very few officially diagnosed cases of clinical lycanthropy, however many non-diagnosed cases of clinical lycanthropy/zoanthropy have been studied and recognized by professionals in the medical community. Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are oftentimes just a symptom or sub-disorder of a more severe and prominent disorder like schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar, and schizotypal. The aforementioned disorders are usually treated by psychiatrists to reduce symptoms of said disorders, usually treating symptoms of clinical zoanthropy by default. There is some debate among medical professionals regarding whether clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy can be categorized as medical disorders the same way disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are, though clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are described as psychiatric syndromes in the DSM-5. It is extremely rare that clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are the only prominent mental syndromes/disorders being treated in an individual. Sometimes, clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy are never diagnosed in an individual because they have already been diagnosed with a more severe disorder. Having a diagnosis is also something many individuals cannot receive due to not having the finances to see a psychiatrist or the ability to even see a psychiatrist. Medical professionals believe that symptoms of clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy purely stem from a more severe diagnosed disorder. So, clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy oftentimes remain undiagnosed, it is oftentimes officially diagnosed only in incredibly severe cases where clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy symptoms are most prominent and/or overtaking an individual's life. Additionally, clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are usually only medically studied in severe cases where an individual needs to be committed to a mental hospital due to said individual posing a danger to themselves or to others, or leaving them unable to properly function in daily life as a result of their severe symptoms.
•If it was not obvious by the title of this excerpt, I suffer from a genuine case of clinical lycanthropy upon this earth. I am not officially diagnosed with clinical lycanthropy, as I have already been professionally diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder: depressive type, attention deficit disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and severe post-traumatic stress disorder. My psychiatrist has stated that he does not wish to add an extensive amount of diagnosis to my medical record. I have also not been admitted to a mental hospital solely because of clinical lycanthropy symptoms like nearly all diagnosed cases of clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy have. During periods of severe emotional distress, during psychotic episodes, and during times when I am off my medication, I encounter strong delusions that I've either physically become a werewolf or that I'm turning into a werewolf. On occasion, when I am threatened or feel that my life is in danger, I will express aggressive animal behaviors alongside the accompanying thought that I am or will be transforming into a wolf physically. Sometimes these delusions manifest into the false thoughts that I need to escape to somewhere "safe" or "spiritually powerful" in order to properly complete a transformation into a wolf. These episodes are often followed by violent command voices, visual hallucinations of turning into a wolf, and severe hallucinated phantom pain in my bones. During these periods of perceived transformations, I express aggressive and fearful animal behaviors and express animal noises like screeching, hissing, and even roaring. These episodes of clinical lycanthropy often result in my being becoming violent towards myself, inanimate objects, or my general surroundings. Even though I become violent towards inanimate objects and myself during these episodes, I am not a danger to other people or other living things unless I am attacked by them first. I am more of a danger to myself than to others. During random periods throughout any given day when I'm not experiencing a psychotic episode or a period of severe emotional distress, I find myself hallucinating phantom pains of my bones physically shifting into that of a wolf's. I also occasionally find myself in mindsets where I entirely believe that I have either been physically transformed into a wolf or am currently transformed into a wolf, feeling these phantom shifting sensations and/or having visual hallucinations of some kind of physical transformation. These episodes happen more often when I am off my medication or taking my medication irregularly. My clinical lycanthropy is caused by my diagnosed schizoaffective disorder: depressive type. Schizoaffective is a disorder that combines aspects of schizophrenia, mood disorders, and severe depression. I am able to separate my experiences with clinical lycanthropy and the experiences I encounter as a result of my werewolf theriotype, the two are not the same. My experiences with clinical lycanthropy are caused by psychosis and delusions, while my therianthopy is spirituality-based. I am able to separate my experiences with therianthropy and clinical lycanthropy, just as I am able to differentiate reality from a delusion or a symptom of my psychotic disorder. Suffering from clinical lycanthropy does not make my being unable to differentiate reality from fiction, it simply means that I have to overcome specific challenges in my path of self-discovery.
•There exists a certain stigma surrounding individuals who suffer from psychotic disorders and clinical zoanthropy in the alterhuman community. Many people in said community do not think that someone with a psychotic disorder or clinical zoanthropy can truly know their kintype or true self due to mental symptoms. They will often attribute a psychotic individual's nonhuman experience as being part of a severe mental disorder, clinical lycanthropy, or a god complex. Individuals with psychotic disorders may often have more hurdles to encounter during awakening and self-discovery, though that does not mean that someone with a psychotic disorder cannot properly know their otherkinity. There may be some cases of individuals with psychotic disorders being wrong about their identity as a result of the symptoms they experience, though that does not apply to everyone in the alterhuman community with a psychotic disorder. The implication that an individual with a psychotic disorder is unable to discover their otherkind identity or therian identity because they suffer from said disorder is incredibly ableist. It is blatant discrimination purely on the basis of someone's mental disorder and mental symptoms. Additionally, individuals with clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy are also not unable to discover their kintypes or true selves just because they suffer from said delusional disorders. Most clinical zoanthropes are able to separate their experiences with otherkind identity and their delusional symptoms. To present an example, an individual with clinical lycanthropy who has a wolf or werewolf theriotype still has the capability to distinguish therian experiences from their clinical lycanthropy. Clinical zoanthropy does not always affect an individual's theriotypes or their perception of said theriotypes, the syndrome can be entirely separate from a theriotype.
•There are false correlations made between clinical lycanthropy and therianthropy in both the otherkind community and the medical professional community, conflating clinical lycanthropy and therian identity/experience as the same experience or as experiences which are very similar. In truth, there should be no correlation made between clinical zoanthropy and therianthropy. Therian identity and experience is not a delusion, while clinical lycanthropy/zoanthropy is a delusion. Therian identity and having animal theriotypes is not a negative experience or a hindrance on an individual's life, while clinical lycanthropy/zoanthropy is a hindrance on an individual's life, preventing them from interacting with others properly, preventing them from completing daily tasks, and preventing them from dispelling delusional thoughts. Clinical lycanthropy is also strictly medical and strictly a psychiatric syndrome/delusional disorder.
•In addition to the myth that clinical lycanthropy and therianthropy are related, there also exists the myth stating that transspecies individuals or individuals with species dysphoria meet the categories of clinical lycanthropy. This assumption is prominent in the medical community due to medical professionals regarding therian identity, otherkind identity, and the experiences encountered by said groups simply as delusions or false beliefs. Species dysphoria is a very common experience among otherkind identifying individuals as a result of feeling a disconnect from their current body, feeling dissatisfied with their current body or appearance, and missing one's previous nonhuman body. The aforementioned does not imply a mental disorder or can be defined as being a symptom of a delusion or mental disorder. Individuals who identify as transspecies feel that they identify more with the appearance or body of an animal/their nonhuman kintype and wish to receive body modifications to create a more nonhuman appearance that an individual would be satisfied with. Though it is a non-traditional belief, being transspecies is not a medical disorder, having experiences with being transspecies does not mean an individual is experiencing delusional or psychotic symptoms. Clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy should not be labels or disorders forced onto individuals with species dysphoria or individuals who identify as transspecies.
•There is an experience in the alterhuman community defined as "endelity", which is defined as an alterhuman identity or kintype that is based on, rooted in, or heavily influenced by delusions and/or psychotic symptoms. It is also defined as having an alterhuman identity created as a result of psychotic symptoms or delusions. While this aspect of alterhuman identity is valid, it is not in of itself the same as clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy. Not every delusion or psychotic symptom surrounding animals meets the criteria of clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy. Additionally, not every delusion or psychotic symptom that either heavily influences or creates an endelic identity stems from clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy. There may be some rare cases where endelic-identifying individuals have their kintypes influenced by symptoms of clinical zoanthropy they experience, though that only happens in some cases. Otherwise, otherkind identity is not based on delusional symptoms or psychosis symptoms like clinical lycanthropy or clinical zoanthropy.
•There is a bit of a general overlap between clinical lycanthropy/zoanthropy symptoms and the physical shifting community commonly scorned in the alterhuman/otherkind communities. Both individuals who suffer from clinical zoanthropy and individuals in the physical shifting community hold beliefs in being able to physically shift in some way, shape, or form. However, it is important to keep in mind that clinical lycanthropy/zoanthropy is explicitly a psychosis-based delusion, not everyone in the physical shifting community has a psychotic disorder, or even has a mental disorder to begin with. Additionally, not all clinical lycanthropes or clinical zoanthropes want to be associated with the physical shifting community. Most clinical lycanthropes and clinical zoanthropes understand that their symptoms, delusions, and hallucinations are caused by a psychiatric syndrome. Individuals in the physical shifter community believe themselves to be transforming into something nonhuman as a result of magic, metaphysical phenomena, or otherwise pseudo-scientific phenomena. Most clinical lycanthropes and clinical zoanthropes recognize their experiences as hallucinogenic and/or caused by psychological phenomena, not experiences caused by magic or pseudo-science.
•To end these writings, it is important to be properly educated on the subjects of clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy, especially for individuals in the therian and otherkind communities. Any level of misinformation regarding clinical zoanthropy, romanticization of the psychiatric syndrome/ delusional disorder, or assumptions made about individuals suffering from the syndrome can be incredibly harmful for individuals who suffer from clinical zoanthropy. It additionally creates false information surrounding the syndromes themselves. It is my hope that this educational information is able to be used in a positive manner to encourage the understanding, tolerance, and acceptance of individuals like myself who suffer from clinical lycanthropy and clinical zoanthropy.
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𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒔
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