This Rare Psychiatric Syndrome Has You Believing You’re A Werewolf
We’ve all had those days when we wake up feeling a little off—your hair is a mess, your appetite is weird, and maybe you even growl at how bright the sunlight streaming through your windows is. But what if your mind took it a step further and had you believing you were actually a wolf?
This condition is called clinical lycanthropy, a rare psychiatric syndrome where people truly think they are transforming into animals, most often werewolves.
It combines folklore and science, but there is not a lot of research on it. Clinical lycanthropy has been well-documented since ancient times, though.
The oldest known writing mentioning lycanthropy is the Greek myth of Lycaon. During Byzantine times, physicians described lycanthropy as a type of melancholic depression or mania. In medieval and Renaissance times, lycanthropy was linked to satanic forces.
Today, some experts believe clinical lycanthropy is a variation of delusional misidentification syndrome, which is when people do not recognize familiar objects or are convinced that objects have transformed. Others think clinical lycanthropy is also shaped by cultural norms.
Among different cultures, wolves symbolize different things. Therefore, cultural perspectives can impact the kinds of hallucinations experienced. The wolf is often associated with negative aspects in Western cultures and is seen as dangerous or evil.
However, in Nordic Europe, for instance, the wolf is a sign of positivity. Before fights, Scandinavian warriors ate wolves and dressed in wolf fur for strength. In the Middle East, the wolf has a double meaning of impurity and loyalty.
Lycanthropy was also reported in 19th-century Japan. In Japanese culture, the fox is more important, and cases of fox transformation and possession have been reported.
When the Japanese adopted Western medicine, they began to consider animal possession as a mental illness.
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Overall, these examples show that this animal-related delusion is influenced by cultural background. Symptoms of clinical lycanthropy may include claiming to see physical changes in your body in the mirror, like hair growth and claws, making growling/howling sounds or other animal noises, craving or eating raw meat, and walking on all fours.
Individuals who have experienced clinical lycanthropy have said that they had moments when they recognized they were human, but when they thought back, they could also remember feeling like an animal.
Clinical lycanthropy can occur during a first psychiatric episode in young people or in those with chronic psychosis. Usually, cases are linked to mental health disorders. Some experienced the delusion after consuming alcohol or hallucinogenic drugs.
There is not really a standard treatment for clinical lycanthropy, as it depends on each case. Doctors might prescribe antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or antipsychotic medications. Symptoms tend to improve and go away over time.
If you think you might have clinical lycanthropy, seek the help of a doctor or health professional.
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