The human mind has the possibility of creating multiple scenarios in which it acquires different roles. Sometimes we think we have different personality types. We can also even believe that we are not people, but animals that have their own abilities. There are legends that talk about how a man can transform into an animal. Have you ever heard of the werewolf? Although the legend of the werewolf seems to be a fictional story, the truth is that it is a psychological disorder that can affect humans. Do you want to know more about this? In this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about clinical lycanthropy, its symptoms, causes, treatment and real cases.
What is clinical lycanthropy
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 wolfa 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 psychosisI mean, like a mental illness that affects people who have hallucinations and delusions.
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Symptoms of clinical lycanthropy
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.
Causes 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.
Treatment of clinical lycanthropy
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 la and la. In the following article, you can see.
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.
Real cases of clinical lycanthropy
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.
Image: El Español
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online 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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Bibliography
- Deutsch, H. (1968). Some forms of emotional disorder and their relationship with schizophrenia: analysis of the characters among themselves. Psychoanalysis Magazine. Vol. 25 (2), 413-431.
- Donnoli, FD, Bátiz, MP, Rodríguez, GF (2014). Delusion of lycanthropy: body and identity. Alcmeon, Argentine Journal of Neuropsychiatric Clinic. Vol. 19 (1), 5-18.
- Freud, S. (1922). The case of the painter Cristóbal Haitzmann (A demonic neurosis in the 17th century). New Library: Volume III