School for Shifters

Well, I thought that maybe I should make an introduction so everyone can know who I am a bit better. Here goes nothing.

Hello and I am a shifting polymorph/animal person (or whatever you want to call me). I first came across the online therian community this past August after finally having the idea of trying to find some answers about some experiences of mine. How I eventually found the community was through an accident really. After not really finding anything that really related to how I was feeling I gave up for a while. When I came back to my search I found a site for those who were trying to shift into mermaids. In my awe at finding others who felt they were something else, I suddenly found myself identifying myself as a mermaid to understand what all this was about and what not. Eventually I realised that nobody really experienced things in an animalistic way like I do. Somehow, I came across spirit animals and after researching shifting into spirit animal, I somehow came across the definition of therianthropy. It was like a click in my brain and I just knew that it described my experiences.

Shortly after lurking round a couple of forums and trying to learn what I could I felt a bit like an odd one out. Most seemed to have wolf theriotypes and if not being a wolf therian only having one theriotype. As I knew and had known for a long time that I shifted into different animal mindsets I was a bit afraid of being judged by others for being slightly different. I joined Pariah Pack II and tried to convince myself that I was a wolf therian to try and fit in. It came to the point after a good couple of months of this fooling myself I tried to shut out any other animal shifts and pretend they were wolf ones even when they were clearly not. I eventually realised how stupid I was being and then went back to lurking. I found the werelist where I also lurked for a bit finding out more information and finding others who were more than one animal. I realised it was ok and then plucked up enough courage to make a truthful introduction there. I got suggested the term polymorph and have just about stuck with it (although it doesn't describe everything.) Now, I feel like I have everything explained and enjoy contributing to discussions on a couple of different forums.

I am a therian yes (an animal integrally) although without a specific theriotype. This where polymorphic therian comes in. However, polymorphs can change what animal they are willingly (or from what I have learned.) I however can not. It is all completely involuntary. That's when I just call myself animal person which is what some therians on the werelist call themselves. Or normally, I just refer to myself as beast or animal.

From as far as I can remember I have always had animalistic thoughts and phantom limbs. I played 'families' (where I'd always be a pet or just some kind of animal) or 'horses' like any other school kid. However, it wasn't pretend, it was me being me. I did take it too far at times but that's how I learned that nobody else (or so I thought) ever felt they were an animal in the same way I did. It seemed that no one else got phantom limbs or would get urges to do certain things.  I learned to try and bottle things down inside of me but it didn't stop me from being what I am when alone. I had moments when I would yearn for and miss things. During a time when I was twelve I got very dysphoric and quite annoyed and upset at not understanding why I had to behave so differently from everyone else.

Nowadays, I just tend to keep going with the flow. I accept things and just carry on with life just like everyone does I suppose.

Well there's a little bit on me.