
In psychology (pathology), there exists the term of "lycanthopy" which refers to a state in certain individuals who undergo a complete change of personalty, from a normal and rational mindset into a savage and irrational one. These individuals suffering from pathological lycanthropy often act like threatened wild animals, attacking any who approach with clawing and bites. The sufferer apparently has no control over this change in personality, and so it is both dangerous to himself/herself as well as those around him/her.
Therianthropy is NOT the same thing as pathological lycanthropy. It is true that some therianthropes mentally shift unconscously, but many can hold off these shifts until a more appropriate time comes; Some therianthropes can even control their mental shifts. Further, many therianthropes do not experience violent shifts at all. Many seem to experience a deep sense of inner peace and bliss during their mental shifts. Therianthropy is a blessing of pure ecstacy, not something that ruins these people's lives.
Finally, pathological lycanthropy is a disorder, something which is threatening to themselves and those around them. Therianthropy, on the other hand, generally poses little to no threat, except from mundane individuals who may wish to harm the therianthrope because of what they are. So now that you know about them, please try to be kind.
As a footnote, note that some therianthropes refer to themselves as "lycanthropes". In this context, it is not refering to the psychological condition, but rather, to its root meaning derived from the Greek lykos ("wolf") and antropos ("man"). The term therianthrope itself has a similar derivation, with therios meaning "animal".
The attitudes Therianthropes have towards 'Normal' humans vary. Many of us are disgusted by what society has done to the Earth, and sometimes we are mistaken for merely environmental activists. Although a few of us may be just that, it is certainly not necessary to be an activist in order to be a Were. In the following, I have pieced together a few different viewpoints on Humans, Human Society in general, and how some of us fit into it. Basically, our own little pieces of the world as we see it.
Lycanthropy
The name derives from the Greek lykoi (wolf) and anthropos (man) and originally means the delusion of turning to a wolf, whether through witchcraft or will.
Thus Lycanthropy officially is related to a mental disorder and extra-officially it's something like the "science" that studies werewolves and catalogues them.
The Lycanthropic Disorder is a mental condition in which the person believes that he/she is a wolf and acts accordingly. The individual under this condition can be almost as dangerous as a wild wolf.
In the "scientific" aspect of the word, werewolves would be able to shape-shift into a wolf at will, or be influenced by some moon cycle (traditionally the full moon
phase) or be influenced by certain sounds like howling.
Theoretically they are immortals and don't age, but they can be killed if there's any wound to the heart or the brain, or suffer some oxygen-deprivation. The individual while in wolf form keeps a human conscience, which helps him/her to recognize victims and rationalize things in a human way.
To become a werewolf one would have to be given the power through sorcery, be cursed with it (the so called "Lycaeonia curse"), be bitten by a werewolf or would have to be born so. When it's caused by a curse, the person only turns into a werewolf after tasting human blood.
Also werewolves can live alone for a very long time, but sooner or later they end up gathering or joining a group of their kind, in which one of them is always a kind of leader, this one being called the "Alpha werewolf". All the other werewolves of the "pack" are called "Beta" and they whether were bitten by him/her or they have this one's blood.
A Beta werewolf can get rid of the curse only if the Alpha dies, and may not suffer the mutations until it proves human blood. Also if an Alpha is hurt all its Betas are too, but vice-versa doesn't happen.
And finally werewolves can be noticed for their violent manners, rages, insomnia, restlessness and general bizarre behaviour.
Therianthrope

A Therianthrope - also derived from a Greek word "therios" that means animal - is a werecreature (or simply "were"), a human being that has a spiritual, deep affinity with a determined animal. Being so, there would be werefoxes, wereeagles, werepanthers, etc.
These people would manifest the animal's characteritics to which they have such affinity in their behaviors and personalities, in a level that can be even easily noticed by others.
This kind of affinity would make them more respectful of nature and would help them understand their places in the world. So Therianthropy is a term that would describe this state of animal affinity.
The two terms are different, because Lycanthropy is an uncontrollable mental disorder and Therianthropy is merely a spiritual state.
Still inside this definition there's another detail: Therianthropes use to differ themselves from those they call "Furries". Furries are people who pretend to have animal affinities only to "look cool", when they don't need to "play cool", they stop showing the affinities and Therianthropes always display them somehow.
Investigation By Frater Swartz