Clinical Lycanthropy: When Your Brain Insists You're Turning Into A Wolf

Summary: Have you ever felt like you were turning into a werewolf? For a very small number of people, this is a real medical problem called clinical lycanthropy. It is an extremely rare mental health condition where a person truly believes they are turning into a wolf or another animal. People with this condition might look in the mirror and see a monster, or actually feel like their teeth and hair are growing.

Historically, doctors in the 1500s tried to treat it with baths and bloodletting. Today, doctors know it is a symptom of other mental health or brain conditions, like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or Huntington's disease. The good news is that it can usually be treated with modern medicine to make the delusions go away. And it's not just wolves—some people have even believed they were turning into bees, tadpoles, or gerbils!

For more details, see IFLScience at iflscience.com/clinical-lycanthropy-when-your-brain-insists-youre-turning-into-a-wolf-83028 (opens in new tab)