Share all of your introductions here in the comments of this recurring megathread.

Remember to follow these before you post as these will be moderated!

* If you are under the age of 18 do not list your full age, “under 18” is just fine!
* Don’t give out personal information! We don’t need to know where you live and strangers should not be privy to things that would identify you in real life!
* Please remember to add plenty of detail.

We have a template to follow below that is going to include what to talk about, but there’s no need to stick to one-word answers. We want to get to know you as a person, not just as your theriotype, as well.

Please remember to follow the rest of the rules when posting. This includes self promotion of your other socials which is not allowed.

This is the standard we expect from everyone here!

**Name/Nicknames:**

**Age: Under 18/Whatever if you’re an adult**

**Theriotype/Kintype:**

**Interests:**

**Hobbies:**

**What do you enjoy talking about/what would an average conversation with you look like:**

***Hypothetical introduction:***

**Name/Nicknames**: Hi, my name is Robert but I also go by Bob.

**Age**: I’m currently 32, will be 33 in December.

**Theriotype/Kintype**: I have several kintypes, I'm a wolf, a rabbit and a dragon. I have a past life as a rabbit but the other two are psychological identities.

**Interests**: My main interests for now are animated shows, animation history in general and the history of therianthropy.

**Hobbies**: I’m a massive gamer, but I’m also trying to get back into reading as that’s been difficult for me! I enjoy talking to people.

**What do you enjoy talking about/what would an average conversation with you look like**: Typically I most enjoy talking about the creative side of things, art, crafts, gear, but I also like to talk about my experiences as a dragon and artist.

Media comments are enabled but please keep it high effort! We do not allow draw-overs.

*NOTE: Introduction posts are not allowed on this subreddit outside of these megathreads. This rule is in place to reduce feed clutter, allowing for more core therianthropy-related posts to be seen. This is a support subreddit for a marginalised community, so we feel as though this is a necessary method of clutter reduction to have in place so that those who need help have a better chance of receiving it.*

Share all your therian arts and crafts here in the comments of this megathread.

Be it your gear experiences, help requests, selling, or just showing off, this is the place for you. Media comments are enabled!

NOTE: Gear and crafts related posts are not allowed on this subreddit outside of these megathreads. This rule is in place to reduce feed clutter, allowing for more core therianthropy-related posts to be seen. This is a support subreddit for a marginalised community, so we feel as though this is a necessary method of clutter reduction to have in place so that those who need help have a better chance of receiving it.

Welcome!

If you’ve found this community because your child, teen, friend, or family member has told you they’re a therian, you’re not alone. Many parents discover r/therian after hearing unfamiliar words or noticing new interests, and it’s completely understandable to have questions.
This post is intended to answer some of the most common ones.

What is a therian?
A therian is someone who identifies, on a non-physical level, as a non-human animal. Every therian experiences this differently, and there is no single “correct” way to be one.
For many people, therianthropy is a personal identity or internal experience rather than a belief that they are physically an animal.

Is this a mental illness?
Therianthropy itself is not recognized as a mental illness. Most therians understand they have a human body and live normal daily lives.
Like any community, individual members may have unrelated mental health conditions, but being a therian is not considered a disorder by itself.

Is this just a trend?
For some people, identifying as a therian may be a passing phase while they’re exploring who they are. For others, it’s something they’ve experienced for many years or even most of their lives.
Neither outcome is unusual. Identity exploration is a normal part of growing up.

Is my child in danger?
Simply being a therian does not make someone more likely to engage in dangerous behavior.
Most therians express themselves through things like:
Learning about their theriotype(s)
Nature walks or hiking
Artwork and creative projects
Journaling
Making or wearing gear (such as tails or masks)
Photography
Roleplay or imagination
Connecting with others who share similar experiences
If your child is participating in unsafe activities, those behaviors should be addressed on their own rather than assumed to be part of therianthropy.

What is gear?
“Gear” refers to items like tails, masks, ears, or other accessories that some therians enjoy wearing. It is optional and does not determine whether someone is a therian.
Many therians never wear gear at all.

What are shifts?
Some therians describe experiences called “shifts.” These vary greatly from person to person and can include feeling mentally closer to their theriotype, experiencing phantom limbs such as ears or tails, stronger instincts, vivid dreams, or other subjective experiences.
Not every therian experiences shifts.

How can I support my child?
The best thing you can do is listen with curiosity rather than assuming.
You don’t have to fully understand therianthropy to support your child. Asking respectful questions, keeping communication open, and allowing them space to explore themselves often goes much further than trying to immediately explain or dismiss their experiences.

Before making a post
Many questions have already been answered within this subreddit. Using Reddit’s search function can help you find previous discussions from both therians and other parents.
If you still have questions after searching, you’re welcome to make a post. We ask only that you remain respectful and keep an open mind, and our community will do the same in return.
We’re glad you’re here, and we hope this community can help answer your questions.

Hi everyone! I’m BanishedOcean, one of the moderators here, and currently the moderator you’ll see around here the most.
A quick intro before we get into the updates: some of my theriotypes are a deep-sea chimaera, gulper eel, hairy anglerfish, and I’m also a shark cladotherian. I enjoy seeing the incredible variety of experiences and perspectives people bring to this community, and I’m always happy to help keep the subreddit welcoming and organized.

Whether you’re brand new or have been here for years, I’m glad to have you here and welcome to r/therian!

A few quick reminders

Before posting, please take a moment to review the subreddit rules. They’re there to help keep the community safe, organized, and enjoyable for everyone.

Some of the most commonly overlooked rules are:
-No community links or advertising.
-No self-promotion.
-No personal location information.
-Individual “looking for…”, gear, craft, or similar posts belong in the appropriate megathreads rather than as standalone posts.

If you’re unsure whether your post belongs somewhere else, checking the rules or messaging the mod team first is always appreciated.

Also a gentle reminder that posts and comments from those with low subreddit karma are manually approved before going live. Please be patient with us it can take a couple days if it’s been more than a week please reach out to mods.

Subreddit updates

A few things have changed recently:
-The Introductions Megathread is moving from weekly to monthly.
-The Crafts Megathread is also moving from weekly to monthly.
These changes should make those threads easier to use and give conversations a bit more time to grow before they’re replaced and prevent the posts from getting archived.

New posting guideline

You’ll also notice a new rule regarding posts like:

“Are there any ___ therians?”
“Am I the only ___?”
“Why do I never see ___ therians?”

These questions have been asked many, many times over the years, and we now receive numerous nearly identical submissions every week. Most don’t lead to much discussion beyond people commenting “yes” or listing their theriotypes.
Instead, please use Reddit’s search function first. Chances are you’ll find previous discussions about aquatic therians, bird therians, paleo therians, insects, reptiles, invertebrates, obscure species, and many other groups.

This doesn’t mean species discussions aren’t welcome because they absolutely are. We’d love to see conversations about experiences, instincts, shifts, artwork, behaviors, research, symbolism, or anything else that encourages meaningful discussion. The goal is simply to move away from repetitive “Does anyone else exist?” posts and encourage more engaging conversations.

Thanks for being here!!!!

This community continues to grow because of the people who participate in it. Thank you to everyone who reports rule-breaking content, helps answer questions, shares thoughtful discussions, and makes new members feel welcome.
If you have questions, suggestions, or notice something that needs moderator attention, don’t hesitate to reach out through Modmail.
Happy posting! 🐾

My dearest sister completed suicide three years ago today. The rural healthcare system she was trapped in left her to die after schizophrenia crept in at 27. She cared too deeply about her family, found and birth. she selflessly cared for those in her community that were in need providing a home to animals and people alike. A few sour apples came along that mistook her kindness for weakness and drained and abused her but she was always able to get back on her feet and back to helping.

She was so very smart. Started college at 16. She’s a paleontologist and drew the best dinosaurs I’ve ever seen. Her mental math skills were fast and precise. She played the piano and pretty much any other instrument she got in her hands. I miss her so much there was so much more for her in this world. She never got to see the second season of arcane. She mained Jinx and LoL merch was some basically the only stuff she got for herself and she always teased me for how much I detested playing league and I teased her back. I wish I had played more with her and toughed it out.

She was supposed to move states with me, get better healthcare, build a sustainable future. She couldn’t leave her adoptees behind. The animal fostering had slowly turned into a small hoard with 7 indoor cats and 4 dogs and a few birds in a single trailer; and her latest roommate became a financially abusive boyfriend. There was no one to have her back and be her support system after I had to move away even though she helped so many. She didn’t even last a year alone.

I hold so much anger for the “system” that failed her and the people that used her. I try not to blame myself for leaving her behind and moving across the country. I love her so much and I just want to hold her again, listen to her sing again, listen to her rant again. I needed her help on my grad work! She was supposed to be maid of honor at my wedding. It’s only been three years how am I supposed to go the rest of my life feeling like this.

I’m turning 30 this year. She was supposed to be 30 last year but will forever be in her 20s. It’s weird leaving her behind in that lifetime too. I guess I’m just rambling at this point, I should probably get therapy but I feel so much so quickly it all just goes numb and I don’t know how to talk about it. I hope you all get to wake up and hug your loved ones tomorrow and send love to those you can’t reach physically.

As she lived by,
Do not go gently into that good night.
Rage, rage, against the dying of the light.