A common repetitive phrase used by antikin is the assumption that all otherkin need help because all otherkin by their opinion are mentally ill. Now of course some otherkin have mental illness or disabilities but it does not mean that otherkin itself is an illness or disability.
To understand why people would assume otherkin is a mental illness, we’d also have to look at the definition of a mental illness
A – Clinically significant, for a behaviour to be clinically significant it would have to have a significant impact on the person, an impact that would be regarded as important. Otherkin stating they believe they are non-physically an animal would not be an important enough impact to be seen as clinically significant.
B – Otherkin may or may not feel species dysphoria (all called kin-sickness) but that does no increase the rick of death. And no kin has been reported as committing suicide over species dysphoria. And we are most certainly not in pain because of our belief. However some kin again may feel discomfort over species dysphoria.
C – Self Explanatory
D – Some kin may suffer from other psychological disorders that do cause behaviour, psychological or biological dysfunction. But Otherkin as a stand-alone belief has not cause dysfunction. Kin may experience an event known as shifting, where the individual may present animalistic behaviour.
In comparison, kin shifts can be equated (without the deity) to religions such as Christianity where the Christian God appears to talk to them and send messages.
E – Otherkin is a belief, and may be considered by some as deviant, abnormal or strange and it states clearly here that such behaviour is not considered a mental disorder.
‘delusions are fixed beliefs that are not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence’
There is no conflicting evidence (valid at least) against Otherkin,especially as Otherkin is very diverse in itself. So unless someone has valid factual evidence which would prove otherkin wrong in some way, by this part of the definition, Otherkin is not a delusion.
Dissecting the themes of a delusion in relation to otherkin:
Persecutory: ‘Belief that others — often a vague “they” — are out to get him or her. These persecutory delusions often involve bizarre ideas and plots (e.g. “Russians are trying to poison me with radioactive particles delivered through my tap water”).
Otherkin do not believe that they are persecuted in any way, shape or form, but may be persecuted for other aspects of their identity. But definitely not otherkin in itself. We are not oppressed.
Referential: ‘A neutral event is believed to have a special and personal meaning. For example, a person with schizophrenia might believe a billboard or a celebrity is sending a message meant specifically for them.’
Some Otherkin may suffer from disorders such as schizophrenia but Otherkin as a belief in itself does not link to schizophrenia and in nowhere in the otherkin belief does it reference to believing neutral events have special meanings.
Somatic: ‘The fixed, false belief that one’s bodily functioning, sensation, or appearance is grossly abnormal. The somatic delusion has to do with thinking that your body is diseased in some way Sometimes these delusions include things like the idea that one’s body is completely infested with parasites’
Again, Some Otherkin may experience Species Dysphoria, but generally it is not looked on as ‘grossy abormal’ or ‘diseased’.
Grandiose: ‘Belief that one is a famous or important figure, such as Jesus Christ or Napolean. Alternately, delusions of grandeur may involve the belief that one has unusual powers that no one else has (e.g. the ability to fly).’
I find that most Antikin believe that Otherkin genuinely believe their body is also physically an animal or however they identify, making remarks such as ‘How are you a cat if you’re using a computer?’ etc. Otherkin do not believe we are physically what we identify as in a non-human way. We’re aware that our bodies are human. And if an otherkin claims they are physically non-human, they are either a troll or actually suffer from delusions.
Another term for people who believe they can become or are physically non-human is ‘P-Shifter’ or ‘Physical Shifter’ and is looked down upon in the community. Grandiose claims such as physical shifting require evidence which is never given.
Why did you not analyse the religious delusions?
Because Otherkin is simply not a religion.
The ‘Attention Seeking’ / ‘Fake’ Argument
‘Otherkin are attention seeking!’
For something to be classed as attention seeking, you have to be actively attempting to attract the attention of other people. Otherkin generally are a private community found on forums catering to Otherkin and Therians. Which is still the case today.
For something to be classed as attention seeking it would have to be typically disruptive or excessively extroverted, which again is not the case for Otherkin.
‘Otherkin are Fake!’
This is a statement that confuses me greatly, because for something to be fake, it’d have to mean Otherkin are basically non-existant. And that’s not true because there are plenty of Otherkin and Therians who do exist.
If someone were to refer to faking in the sense that someone is claiming to be something that one is not, to some that might seem like a valid argument against Otherkin but again it is not, here is why:
Otherkin is the belief that someone is in someway except physical, non-human. Emphasis on belief. And no Antikin have presented valid evidence for the Otherkin belief being ‘fake’. It’s a personal belief only the individual themself can understand in full, it’s personal to them after all.
