What is it about?
Lycanthropy is a rare mental health condition where a person believes they have turned into an animal. This report discusses a case of a 25-year-old man who thought he had transformed into a buffalo after engaging in bestiality. He also developed obsessive-compulsive behaviors. The report reviews similar cases and highlights that lycanthropy has been linked to various psychiatric and neurological conditions, including psychosis, mood disorders, drug effects, brain injuries, and seizures. However, its connection to obsessive-compulsive disorders is extremely rare. Recognizing this link may help doctors diagnose and treat patients with lycanthropy more effectively.
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Why is it important?
Understanding lycanthropy is important because it can be a sign of underlying mental health or neurological conditions. While it is often linked to psychotic disorders, mood disorders, or brain injuries, its connection to obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs) is rarely recognized. If doctors consider OCRDs when diagnosing lycanthropy, they may be able to identify and treat the root cause more effectively. This could lead to better outcomes for patients by ensuring they receive the right type of treatment sooner, improving their quality of life and reducing distress.
Perspectives
Author’s Perspective Lycanthropy is a fascinating and rare psychiatric phenomenon that challenges our understanding of identity, perception, and mental health disorders. While traditionally associated with psychotic and neurological conditions, our case highlights its possible link to obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs), an area that has received little attention in clinical literature. Through this case report, we aim to broaden the diagnostic perspective on lycanthropy, encouraging mental health professionals to consider OCRDs when evaluating patients with similar delusions. Early recognition of this connection could improve patient outcomes by guiding more targeted interventions. We hope this report stimulates further research into the neuropsychiatric mechanisms underlying lycanthropy and expands our understanding of its diverse clinical presentations.
Dr. VARCHASVI MUDGAL
M. G. M MEDICAL COLLEGE INDORE
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A Rare Report of Clinical Lycanthropy in Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, Cureus, February 2021, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.13346.
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