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I am considering revealing to my friends that im a furry. They are all very open minded, but i fear that they are all too cynical to appreciate what I am.

 I feel that " Are you sure its not because of emotional/spiritual/relationship problems, you can't be serious. No, your just having a breakdown/ Let me give you my 'I know everything  even though im only 25' talk about life" will come up;

I am very comfortable with what I am. I am a more whole person for realizing my furryness, and have never been happier.

I was wondering If any of you have had this happen to you, where your furryness was tottaly discredited by a freind/family member, and how you coped with it.

I appreciate All of your posts.

Sorry to sound so serious *HUGS*  

I guess if you know that theyre not gonna take it well,dont tell them.And if you think they will,then go ahead. '> Maybe if you cant just tell them,you could tell them one at a time starting with the most openminded or the one that you trust the most.

Hey, Choky, thanks for your post *HuGS*

Well, the're going to be told whether they think im nuts or not (Kouga can't keep a secret )

I was curious about all of your expirences, rather than asking for advice on how to do it, But I still will take your advice!

Thanks

Sorry if this has been posted before.

Actually my Furryness is psychiatrist approved. Im diangosed bi-polar manic depressive with social anxiety disorder and agorophobia. I wore my tail into his office when I went in and he noted how much happier I was and that I did not need a refill of ativan. '>

EDIT: oh yea the advise part... I took it slow with the immediate family in the house got them used to seeing me in my tail. The just cut loose with both barrels...Now people seldom even take note of me ...Im still introing it to my fam out of the home but so far so good.

I have in the past wondered about this myself sometimes, especially because my....nonhuman tendancies seem to make themselves known much more strongly when I'm under duress.  I have found though that its more likely that I develop most of these problems (depression and mood swings usually, but nothing too serious) when I try to bottle up part of myself, usually the furry part.  When I'm free and honest with myself about it I don't have any of those issues, which is part of the reason I've started lurking and posting here.

I haven't actually had a mental evaluation, but I know the results.

One trend I seem to be seeing in a lot of furry media coverages (legitimate ones, not that MTV BS) involve at least one interview with a professional psychiatrist.  They will admit that the behavior defies the status quo, but so far I've yet to see anyone state that furriness is a product of a cranial abnormality.

Of course, I've heard people tell me that I need to be locked up in the looney bin many times before, but most of their definitions of 'normal' are really narrow.  When one of my friends inquires about my sanity, I start by clearing up all the BS MTV, CSI and S.A. have circulated.  Then if they still inquire about my sanity, they go from being my friends to people I tolerate when I have to.

Hey, Thnaks for all your posts  '>

Now its time for mister Know-It_All

Im starting to realize that the definition of a "Normal" Human is only a recent explination. For about 95% of human existantce, generally, Magic and spiritual conections with animals were the norm (Exp, Native Americans, African Tribes and soforth, cant me more specific because of ignorance '>). the straight shooting business man is only a recent incarnation of the human form.

Anyone who says humans are naturally capitalistic is not paying credence to history. A anthropological timeline of the human race would show the "capitalistic social state slice" of the pie as very tiny, but I digress...

Magic has been completley replaced with science, and this on a social level quashes any animalistic or sprititual tendencies we might have. We must act in accordance to whatever the social norm is at the time or face ridicule.

If a Cherokee Dresed up in a business suit and called himself "Rising Stock", he would be in the same situation that we are in.

I am a cynic, and do not concur with all of the spiritual mumbo-jumbo that happens to cross my path, but there is something out there, and furriness is a gateway into whatever that might be, just like amny other unaccepted mindsets.

Thank you for listening to my Psudo-intellectual Banter

Just a thought.

Normality exists only as a theory.  I make no real attempts to fit in to the theory, and I don't get any bad reports from friends.  They're perfectly content to get on with what they were doing while I bounce around or do something else that wouldn't be seen in the theory of normal behaviour.

Insanity doesn't enter in to thought anywhere, though.

Most furries I know are more understanding about points of view and normaly very happy if that is wrong then I am very very happily insaane.

My advise is to tell them, ans talk to them about why you like it, but carful don't hide the stuff that is considered bad by normal society cause if you hide it and they find out it may not be a pretty sight. So I say tell them, besides if you cannot tell your friends and family who you are who can you tell? (well I can understand sometimes if you cannot tell family but friends are there to stick by you because you are you and no one else and furry is a part of you or I asume.)

I "came out" to everyone who was close to me and no one reacted badly to me. I did have to explain what is REALLY was (thanks to some tv shows), but everyone is cool with it and my Mom brags about it at work (my art mainly). So no big deal for me.

But some people won't react that well....

I have some "light" ADD, i've had since before I knew about furry. It's extremely hard for me to concentrate in school after like the first hour.

[Quote]

Quote (Kouga @ Oct. 12 2004, 10:55 am)

Magic has been completley replaced with science, and this on a social level quashes any animalistic or sprititual tendencies we might have. We must act in accordance to whatever the social norm is at the time or face ridicule. I am a cynic, and do not concur with all of the spiritual mumbo-jumbo that happens to cross my path, but there is something out there, and furriness is a gateway into whatever that might be, just like amny other unaccepted mindsets.

I'm a true believer when it comes to magic, I think their exists a "power" that can be channeled or manipulated by gifted individuals. I don't really see my self as a wiccan yet due to my ignorance of the fath but I also believe in many native american ideals such as animal sprits totems and visions

I’m in the same boat you are Kouga, at first I though I had to keep it a secret from everyone but now I’m starting to realize that my new friends in VA are very open-minded and probably would take it very well. Then again, the guys I hang with are far from “normal.” Just today my small group of friends were described as “weird” by some of our coworkers. I’m thinking about coming out of the closet after I became more accustom to being a fur, I’ll most likely show them something furry (a fursuit, fur art, or the furry story I’m writing)  and then explain it to them.

I will NEVER tell my family about my furriness or my religious views, they are all very closed minded and would never understand.

Yes, and I've been told it's "of The Devil", complete with theological, Biblical "proof". Apparently that's what happens when you wear ears and tail to church. It was worth doing, though. I had no intentions of continuing attendence there, I was tired of being viewed as THAT person (the person others thought they could make me), my beliefs didn't even come close to theirs, it was a quite effective way of coming out of the closet, and it was fun watching the narrow minded Baptist types freak out.

I'm now a practicing Wiccan, btw. I don't know what I was thinking in being Southern Baptist back then.

I've been fortunate to have the extent of people calling me crazy confined to the realm of the internet. However, I've not been bold enough to come clean with most people about the things I like... So that could be one factor in why my family isn't trying to have me committed... again...    They'd love to have a new excuse...

People constantly question my sanity on many occasions...but that's also why so many respect me.  '>

I had an interesting time around three years ago when I was fifteen. My parents had put me in this group home (my home life then was quite grim) and one of my case managers had gone so far as to get the courts to get me to a SEX therapist of all things because she was convinced I was into bestiality (Which I most certantly am NOT) because of the whole furry thing. The therapist discharged me very soon after when he figured out and said that I have no problem.
My furriness has caused quite a few hassles in my past.

In my experience, most mental problems and depression issues are at least partly affected by enviroment. If you have a crappy home, school or job, you will be at least a little sad. I think furrydom has nothing to do with such factors...

Heck, by providing an on the whole friendly atmosphere, it more an anti-nuerose... makes one feel a part of something good, and can provide friendship.

It's more a personality/spiritual thing, I think. It's certainly not an 'illness'.

"Furry makes me hurt inside ;_;" is something I have never heard!

But, good luck! Just be careful you don't misjudge and become stigmatized because of popular cultural beliefs! It's like back buring WWII and some American pricks told the British people that black people had tails. Bleh.

Where I live, If you don't like Rap music, basketball, or videogames you are classified as weird. Which makes it hard for me since I like Classical music, no sports, and books and to top it all off I'm gay (I keep that on the DL though.)

In my own experience, bieng Furry has relieved more mental anguish than even going to therapy for me.
Since I stopped repressing my Tiger side, I am happier, more sane and a better person altogether for everyone around me, especially my Kits. I'm proud of what I am, and I don't give a damn if somebody thinks it's weird.

There is no such thing as "normal."  "Normal" is just a collective opinion of how things should be but never really are.

Actually, I'm most likely to tell others that I'm wierd/crazy. (I'm crazy. I've just not been certified on it yet!  '>  '> )

I figured out randomly saying "kitty" (like a catch-phrase) proves my claim to wierdness, then I can proceed to being furry from there. Being a cute female helps too.  '>

None of my friends can claim to be normal anyways.