The Case of a Clinical Lycanthropy and Cotard Delusion

The co-existence of Clinical Lycanthropy case and Cotard Delusion existed in an incident that involves a 32-year old high-school dropout.  He claims that he is not only dead but in fact he was turned into a dog.

His family immediately took him to the Kerman Psychiatric hospital located at the southern portion of Iran.  The said man refused to go to his work for two weeks believing that he is already dead.  At first he said that he felt restless and his senses seem to be subtle and he felt some sort of electric shock.  Afterward he felt as if his body has changed and believe that he already died.  He believed that his sin caused his death and that his jaw makes a sudden movement which led to his belief that he has been turned into a dog.  His wife is also suffering the same condition while he says that his children have been turned into a sheep.  The mere scent of their urine can cause him restless since the wolf is the natural predators of sheep.

He started having sleepless night, because he was too scared that he would sexually assault his daughter.  There was an instance in his life when he was still alive that he sexually assaulted a sheep and he is still not over it.  He also refused to have sex with his wife since he does not want to infect her with his sin.

Then eventually, the man would exhibit signs of schizophrenia, he started accusing some of his friends that they are trying to hurt him.  He also said that his relatives attempted to poison him.  But he didn’t seem bothered since he claimed that God will protect him even if he is dead and that no poison could ever hurt him.

He was subjected to electro-convulsive therapy and consecutive medical treatment.  After a continuous medical therapy, some signs of clinical lycanthropy and Cotard delusion have been relieved.