Clinical lycanthropy is a psychiatric illness in which a person is convinced they are metamorphosing into a werewolf. Those affected by clinical lycanthropy believe they can transform into animals. Typically, the people affected assumed that they could turn into wolves and werewolves, although other species are sometimes included. Those who suffer from this disease often begin to act like animals and often find themselves in dark and isolated woods, living or hiding. Most individuals have not learned about lycanthropy because this condition is extremely rare. There were 56 reliable case accounts for people who believed they had transformed into a wolf after 1850, according to LifeScience.com. Among these, the criteria for clinical lycanthropy were met by only 13 reports. There are plenty of signs and some treatments for this syndrome that will be discussed later. This disorder is studied to help eventually prevent it in the future. In addition, the search for effective treatments for patients is currently being investigated. People affected by this disorder grunt, growl, claw, and feel their body is covered in long hair and that their nails have elongated. They strongly believe that they are in the process of becoming a wolf.
Lycanthropy is an unusual circumstance but not a new phenomenon. In 1852, the first reported lycanthropy report was published. This report described a man who had been taken to an asylum in France, known as the Asile d’Aliénés de Maréville, because he claimed his body had undergone an abnormal change. Although the man seemed to appear perfectly healthy, he told his physicians that he had long claws on his feet and sharp fangs on his teeth and that his body was covered with dark, long hair. He was convinced that he had become a werewolf, and he was constantly asking the doctors to put him on a raw meat diet. Finally, the asylum nurses accepted, but he refused to eat what they offered him because it wasn’t “rotten enough.” Instead, he begged the physicians to end his pain by dragging him into the woods and killing him. They did not complete this request, and the man died years later in the asylum. The most recent case of lycanthropy occurred on April 30th, 2019. According to a report filed in March of 2019, a young Florida man was convicted of murdering a couple and biting one of their faces. Psychiatrists inferred that the convicted man suffered from “clinical lycanthropy delusions,” a diagnosis made throughout a mental health assessment by forensic psychiatrist Dr. Phillip Resnick. Austin Harouff was charged with the murder of John Stevens III and his wife, Michelle Mishcon, at their home in Martin County. When the deputies arrived on the scene, they reported seeing Harouff, age 19, lying on top of Stevens, growling and chewing on Stevens’ face and neck. Such conduct is quite wolf-like, and it provides valid reasoning for physicians to conclude that Harouff has lycanthropy. These are only the oldest and newest cases. There are around 60 other cases that lie between these, waiting to be uncovered.
Since cases of lycanthropy are quite rare, those who have experienced a case first-hand have written information books about it for those who are interested in learning about the disorder. A novel called Elephant in the Brain aims to encourage us to confront our hidden motives directly. This book highlights lycanthropy and its effects and possible causes. This informative text was written by Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson. Another informational book on clinical lycanthropy is, Psychopathology; From Science to Clinical Practice. This authoritative text provides a rich understanding of the links between psychopathology research and clinical practice to students and practitioners. The book also covers the effects of clinical lycanthropy and the hallucinations associated with it. A book called The Book Of Werewolves: The Classic Study Of Lycanthropy is another informative resource regarding lycanthropy cases. This book shares information on werewolves, along with stories and recent and past cases of lycanthropy. This book is written by S. Baring-Gould. Clearly, clinical lycanthropy is extremely rare, but that doesn’t stop curious psychiatrists from researching this hidden, ominous disorder.
Clinical lycanthropy is a rare psychiatric disorder that affects less than 2% of the population. Lycanthropy is typically described as a rare psychotic disease that involves a delusion that the affected individual can transform into or has transformed into a wolf. This disorder is so infrequent that there have only been around 70 occurrences ever recorded. A patient diagnosed with lycanthropy would most likely get treated with a medication such as an antipsychotic or anti-tremor drug. Behavioral therapy, family therapy, cognitive therapy, rehabilitation, and group psychotherapy are conventional treatments for mental disorders. The symptoms typically are shown behaviorally, cognitively, psychologically, and through the mood or speech. Sometimes the affected patient will show their symptoms by acting like the animal they see themselves as. The patient might be rolling on the floor, grumbling, crying, and even growling. Despite the fact that lycanthropy is a rare disorder, further research is vital in finding the rooting cause of this syndrome.
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