Psychology

[Infinite_Path]

Now, I'm sure psychology has been covered in little bites all over this forum, but I'm wondering about a cohesive whole.
For example, the sentient were seems to be well established, but if they are sentient, why aren't they using tools? And what about drug addicts? Or even drug treatments? Could a vicious were be calmed with opiates?

Are they killers at heart? Just a bad reputaiton? Or compelled to consume by instinct, with their intelect merely along for the ride?

[RedEye]

Seems you've taken a lot of things and made them into a very complicated whole.
Please, use the lookup function at the top pf the forums!

Sentient: Tool use; Werewolves can use the same tools Smooths use. They would probably revert to Smoothskin before going to the local Home Depot, though.
Drugs: Generally, Werewolves are either immune to human drugs or are much less sensitive to them than humans are...Wolfsbane is a tossup: in some cases it causes reversion, in others it kills them, in still others there is a warning effect (Full Moon + Blooming Wolfsbane= Fuzzy time). Take your pick.

As for the Violence Potential: That varies as well. Some Werewolves are naturally violent, some not. Since one ot the main triggers for the Shift is adrenalin (fight or flight) there might be some reason for the assumed violence...they're scared!
Werewolves are as diverse as any other group of people. Only these people have fangs and claws. That might make a difference.

[Infinite_Path]

Thanks, I'll do it right next time.

[MoonKit]

(Full Moon + Blooming Wolfsbane= Fuzzy time)

"No, sorry guys. I cant go out to that party tonight. It's my "fuzzy time". "

[Terastas]

. . .but if they are sentient, why aren't they using tools?

Tools would be more difficult for werewolves to use because they have the hand/paw/claws of a werewolf whereas the tools in question were made with human hands in mind, therefore the tools we consider simplistic and second nature could be clumsy and cumbersome to a werewolf. There's nothing to say that they couldn't, only that they'd have to relearn how to use them again.

And what about drug addicts? Or even drug treatments? Could a vicious were be calmed with opiates?

The consensus on lycanthropy, last I checked, was that it both heals the body and filters out any impurities in the werewolf's system. The presence of drugs in the werewolf's system could therefore lead to an allergic reaction or worse. Someone might be able to refrain from any drug treatments they were previously on with the presence of lycanthropy, but I think a pack would be shy of infecting drug addicts because there's no telling what could happen if he took drugs with lycanthropy in his system.

Are they killers at heart? Just a bad reputaiton? Or compelled to consume by instinct, with their intelect merely along for the ride?

They definitely have a bad reputation, there's no denying that, but there are werewolves that fit the stereotype. Some can't handle the change, others can but like the image of werewolves the way it is.

Something I also mention in my own writing is a psychological complex which werewolves call "Hollywood Syndrome." It basically goes that if someone becomes a werewolf and they adamantly believe something about werewolves that isn't true, they may develop a psychological complex which encourages that untrue stereotype. If someone believes that werewolves are uncontrollable monsters, for example, they may develop a psychological blood lust. Or if someone believes that silver can kill a werewolf, they may develop such an extreme fear of silver that even being handed a silver dollar could give them a fatal heart attack.

So the only misconception would be that not all werewolf are evil and/or uncontrollable. As a whole, I'd say the ratio of sane to psychotic werewolves is about the same as the ratio of sane to psychotic human beings. After all, if the majority of werewolves were uncontrollable, we'd probably have proof of their existence by now.

[RedEye]

Terastas makes a good point about "Hollywood Syndrome" problems. We see so much on the screen (big or little) that we get a sort of "Education" on what certain things are-and are not.
Take the Newly-Crossed Werewolf. He (I'm assuming its a he, it might well be a she) will immediately think of all the movies he's seen. He will default to the most remembered parts of those movies, and with Werewolves that consists of violence, destruction, mayhem, and line-cutting.
He may well do those things not because he actually is violent, but because he thinks he has to be violent (movie-ed.) He may not, too; and think there is something wrong with him, because he isn't violent, destructive, and rude to his neighbors.
The danger is there. We act in many cases based on what we've seen in the movies, rather than what's real or real life.
Now, who would a confused Werewolf go to in a case like that? A doctor? A Psych? A Priest? What these people say could also cause him to act not normally for a Werewolf, simply because they are authority figures.
If he were lucky, there would be another Werewolf there, to help the new "pup" into the Fuzzy and Toothy lifestyle...safely and realisically, rather than having to use Movie-Ed. as his only source of action.