Therian Guide: Forums

Hi!
So I’ve done some thinking, and I think an explanation for some (definitely not all, keep in mind) psychological therians could be stress, trauma, and neurodivergence- and I’d like to elaborate on it.
Firstly, in terms of stress and trauma, I believe it could be possible some alterhumans may identify as so because of how their mind subconsciously copes with stress and trauma. One way might be their brain perceiving animals as strong, and that an animal could get through this, so their brain starts to cope by integrating that animal or animals into their identity. Not the same as copinglink, as it’s involuntary.
In terms of neurodivergence or even those who identify as LGBTQ+, mainly those who have had bad experiences with it, I think perhaps it is because they’re so different from the neurotypical or cishet people that they may feel animal-like, and it becomes part of their identity. Another cause could be being dehumanized by society.

This post doesn’t account for every cause that could be the case, just a few- and take it with a grain of salt, because I’m not an adult nor am I a mental health professional. Thanks!

I agree. I've always had trouble trying to separate copinglink vs. therianthropy caused by trauma, probably because I have a hard time differentiating /discovering/ my theriotype versus /choosing/ it. Basically, I doubt myself a ton.

I definitely resonate with the "an animal could go through this" aspect. Identifying with a theriotype can help me feel stronger mentally, especially if it means I start approaching things from a perspective of just 'trying to survive.' It can help things not feel so world-ending.

I think this is generally true in many cases. Most therians say they are born therian, and I don't think it's necessarily a contradiction. I think we are not born with a personality or soul, but with the raw materials of the psyche that gradually integrate into what we call the soul. Stress/trauma/neurodivergence can alter its development.

(2023-12-01 0:23)mangle Wrote: [ -> ]I agree. I've always had trouble trying to separate copinglink vs. therianthropy caused by trauma, probably because I have a hard time differentiating /discovering/ my theriotype versus /choosing/ it. Basically, I doubt myself a ton.

The conscious mind where you can choose is like a separate mind from the unconscious where things are discovered. The unconscious is open to suggestion so it is possible to induce therian-like experiences by thinking about it, etc. If you need help differentiating, maybe the community would have suggestions like not watching animal videos for awhile or something. If your experiences are kind of on the bridge in-between and it's helpful to you, I think that's alright too. Discovery takes time. I feel like therians can be a bit tribalistic. I don't blame them but maybe it could contribute to some people feeling self-doubts too.