Well, to me, it's not the instincts, it's not the 'abilities' or 'aspects'. It's the little wolf inside you. Or Raccon. Or Coyote. Or fox, panda, tiger, lion, panther... you get the point(s).

I just started rooting around on tinternets looking for information about 'real' werewolves, purely as an interest thing, and it turned up several sites like this where I read about therianthropy and went 'whoa...hang on... that sounds like me, but I didn't realise they had a name for it these days!' before that time in my head I used to refer to my therianthropy as just my animal alter ego. But yeah, its surprising what a bit of trawling around can turn up.

GhostDog wrote:

A little off topic, a lot of people who want to be werewolves, or think werewolves are cool, think they are therians. It may be an age thing - those who would like to be werewolves at a young age, I think, may grow out of calling themselves therian - but I was a very mature thirteen year old when I discovered therianthropy.

Yeah, that's a major thing between Furries and Therians, and one of the misconceptions that makes it hard to explain.  It's not something you can decide to be or not be, and it is a deep and personal thing.

LycanJayBoy wrote:

Exactly why I'm not yet ready to say wether I am or not, even though I have some good friends who keep saying "Don't worry, you are."
I just don't want to be a wannabe with something like this.

Eh, I don't think you should be listening to others on this.  If you are one, you should know for yourself, they shouldn't be able to tell.  Statistically, it's not likely you are.  What makes you think you are one?

LycanJayBoy wrote:

Not on the forum..
But some close friends.

Actually, I assumed that.

GhostDog wrote:

I see how that could apply to me. I mean, over the years I've gotten so used to having shifts that when they're gone, when all the usual things that induce them don't, I get incredibly stressed. Of course, I'm so used to them that I think something's not right or wrong. I went through a shift-less time around the middle of last year, and I felt horrible. As if I was trapped in my own skin without any way to get 'out', so to speak.

   Point being, in some way I can see therianthropy being a sort of curse. But it's it's own cure, too. Shifting makes me feel better after a long day, when I need to relax or when I just can't stand being human any more, you know? So, it's a kind of curse, but it's also a kind of gift.

   But that's shifts themselves, of course. Before I took the question literally and said what the word 'Therianthropy' meant.

Ye I can see what you mean. In My Opinion, be thankful you're a dog. I hate the shifts, I get on edge. Rage that refuses to be tapped yet boils over into my mind.

I kind of feel like that too, but in a way I fear my wolf side. I've always associated that with my temper, my rage, my blood lust. I know that isn't a good mentality, but that's been my life.

LycanJayBoy wrote:

Dude, sounds like you're getting intense amounts of stress, and havn't found a suitable output for it.

My friend has Aspergers, He's paranoid as hell. He's having to get a CT scan because he had a few bad concussions. Not to sound snappy but i got good reason

LerangFang wrote:

LycanJayBoy wrote:

Dude, sounds like you're getting intense amounts of stress, and havn't found a suitable output for it.

My friend has Aspergers, He's paranoid as hell. He's having to get a CT scan because he had a few bad concussions. Not to sound snappy but i got good reason

Hah, so does my friend. It's kind of annoying, but I want to help him. He can't talk to my friends, who he doesn't know, because he's too shy and afraid.

Any tips? I mean, I've been trying to start conversations, and I want him to talk while talking with my friends (over XBL). It's a bummer, because I feel like I'm having fun while he's freaking out.

I hate hockey..