Clinical Lycanthropy: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment And Real Cases

First of all, let’s look at what clinical lycanthropy means in psychology. Although clinical lycanthropy is especially associated with the transformation of the person into a wolf, the truth is that it is also possible that there are other animals within this disorder. Following this, the patient may believe that he is turning into a wolf a cat, a hyena, a tiger, a horse, a toad, a dog, a sheep, a cow, a wolf, a pig, a bee, a bird and even a snake, among others.

What do you call a person who believes they are an animal? In general, the term used is “transspecies”, and in the specific case of wolves, the term “lycanthrope” is used.

Currently, clinical lycanthropy could be considered as a type of psychosis I mean, like a mental illness that affects people who have hallucinations and delusions

In the following article, you will find information about what psychosis is, its symptoms, causes and treatment.

How do you know if you have lycanthropy? How does a person with clinical lycanthropy behave? Often, we can find some symptoms that appear in those people who suffer from this clinical condition. Below, we will describe the most important ones.

• Have behaviors similar to those of the animal into which they believe they transformed For example, if the person thinks they are a wolf, they may move on all fours, growl, make similar sounds, among others.
• In certain moments of lucidity, the patient may mention that he feels like a certain animal This does not mean that he is lying, but that he is convinced that he is an animal.

In the presence of these symptoms, it is important to go to a mental health service such as a hospital with a psychiatry and psychology service since a consultation with a professional is required to determine if it is a case of clinical lycanthropy.

We could locate some factors that influence the emergence of this pathology. The way in which they develop will depend on the characteristics of each person such as sex, age, clinical history, predisposition to the development of organic diseases, family history , among others. We will describe the most relevant possible causes of clinical lycanthropy:

Neurological disorders

It has been studied that patients who reported feeling like animals had lesions in certain areas of the brain such as the cerebrum , area in charge of sensory and motor perception. This results in damage to the somatosensory cortex, which means that people with these disorders have a different understanding of their body, mind and environment.

Historical and cultural facts

Clinical lycanthropy may also have its origin in certain rituals performed in ancient times such as imitating the behaviors of wolves to obtain qualities that could improve survival. In other words, they sought to have the fierceness and strength of wolves to survive. People with these characteristics may look for ways to cope. high stress and anxiety situations

Expression of hidden ideas and emotions

Psychoanalysis seeks the origin of certain human problems. From this perspective, the fact that the person feels like an animal may be linked to a way to show feelings of anger and aggression that are not shown in everyday life for being part of a society in which there are norms of coexistence.

There are some treatments that can help people with clinical lycanthropy. It is important that we know that the treatment indication must be carried out by a health professional since this will allow precise monitoring of the patient’s evolution at all times, taking into account the main characteristics. Treatments available for clinical lycanthropy are:

Pharmacology

The provision of some psychiatric medication may be useful for this type of condition. Generally, it is antipsychotic medications that reduce the symptoms that appear in lycanthropy since they act on the body blocking the reception of dopamine , a neurotransmitter in the brain responsible for motor and emotional reactions. Some antipsychotics are Sulpiride and Olanzapine. In the following article, you can see what dopamine is and what its functions are.

Psychotherapy

Therapy can help resolve situations that may have caused unpleasant sensations in the past. There are several types of psychotherapies such as short-term therapies, psychoanalysis, among others. In the case of lycanthropy, therapy may help. so that the person understands how hidden emotions manifest themselves at the moment of believing yourself to be an animal.

There have been some real cases throughout history. However, the best known case is that of Manuel Blanco Rosamanta, better known as “The murderous Galician werewolf” Around 1870, this man murdered thirteen people during his journeys through the forests of Galicia. However, when the final sentence was handed down for him, he was not given a prison sentence because The judges considered that he really was a werewolf

Today, advances in medicine and psychology make it possible to provide adequate treatment to people who suffer from this clinical condition.

This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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