What Makes You Believe /You/ Are Therian?

I do agree there is no one way to explain therianthropy. my reason would be a mix is me be neurodivergent and acting like an animal also not fitting in anywhere. I do think I was born a fox therian and the rest of my kintypes came later. I have never felt human so why would I say I am? for me it has nothing to do with Spiritual anything because thats not a thing I believe in. that's not to say those who are arent valid (they are valid 100%). my other theriotypes came from imprinting and the way I act and think. that's my take

I’m of two minds about why I’m a therian, spiritual and psychological.

I’m a heathen, and my spiritual theory is rooted in the concept of the multi-part soul. I believe that one of the components of my soul is that of lynx. Whether that means it was part of a lynx before it was part of me, or was “made” for a lynx or is just lynx-shaped, I don’t know. It may also be either rooted in or the cause of my connection to Freya, since she’s often associated with felines.

My psychological theory, which I honestly think is more likely, is that it’s rooted in my AuDHD and social anxiety, and consequent relative isolation or at least insulation from humans. I do still identify as partly human, I just don’t get along with or understand most of them. Anyway, I think that could be the root of my animality, although why a Canada lynx specifically is beyond me. I love cats now, but I was not a fan as a child. I had a bad experience with a cat when I was 5 or 6 (my fault) and was wary of them until I met my now-wife. The only reasonable justification I can think of is that maybe I just felt like an animal, and being specifically a Canada lynx was ex post facto because of how closely my personality, behaviors, and instincts align with them. I’m not sure though, for a few reasons. First, Canada lynx wouldn’t have been my first or even fifth choice, even subconsciously I believe. I even had a bit of difficulty admitting it to myself. I held on to some other potential theriotypes for far longer than I should have for honestly petty reasons, in the face of convincing evidence. When I eventually read about bobcats and Eurasian lynxes I felt a connection or kinship with them, but when I read about the Canada lynx (which I hadn’t even known existed prior) I felt something way stronger, culminating in a full mental shift. And yet it still took quite a while for me to admit it to myself. I’m sure there’s a reasonable psychological explanation for identifying as an animal that I was previously unaware of and would have preferred to not be, but I’m not aware of it.

As a side note, I have made peace with being a Canada lynx. I don’t wish to be a different animal anymore.