You Are Still Human Inside

What Now?

What Now?

You look in the mirror, and you see a different face look back at you - it's covered in fur, has a muzzle and a snout, and you now have big ears. But looking more closely, you'll find the same broad facial structure, the same colored eyes, and the same person underneath.

Following your transformation, you will likely have a lot of conflicting feelings within you. Your body is filled with new sensations, some old but much stronger, others completely new that you'll need to get used to. You might feel ashamed or embarrassed. People are looking at you differently and you don't like the attention. Perhaps you might find, to your surprise, that you actually like your strong sense of smell, or the sensation of wagging your tail.

Maybe you feel upset at your circumstance - of why it had to be you. Maybe you're angry at someone you knew who infected you.

The time during and immediately after your transformation can be a time of heightened emotion, as you now have to figure out how to adjust to your new life. Things may be difficult for your family, coworkers, your friend group, or a partner. Even though others around you may not understand how you feel, be humble and accepting of their attempts to comfort you. It will encourage them to help continue to be a support. To those in your life who are doing the opposite, be honest and upfront about how they make you feel. Additional help in navigating these situations can be found in our Canis Prejudice and Discrimination section.

Studies and reports from Canis people show that most find a sense of normalcy again after a few weeks being back to their old routine, and at this point, their emotional health improved. If you are still struggling in the area however, you are far from alone. There is nothing to be ashamed of after experiencing this massive change in life, and although many Canis people learn to live happy lives, and are accepted by family and friends, not all have that good fortune. Even when you are treated kindly, and treated like nothing changed, it is still common for many too feel emotionally unhealthy.

In this case, there are many resources available to help. Professional counselors can be found through your medical professional. In addition, the CanisConnections website offers further material on adapting. The CanisConnectionsForums also provides a place to meet other Canis people and find community with others who have gone through what you have. It also provides many topics of discussion as well as activities full separate from the topic of Canis to help you relax and take your mind of any difficulties you're facing.

Checking Up

You should get a check up with your medical professional, or with someone specialized to treat Canis people based on their recommendations. During this general check up you will undergo a series of tests to assess your overall health. Most transformations end in the Canis individual being in at least similar medical condition to pre-changes, while some have improvements in health, and others face side effects. If you are not meeting with a specialized Canis physician, your current practitioner should begin the process of transitioning you to one. This change may lead to adjustments to your health insurance. Due to government stimulus, many Canis individuals benefit from decreased medical costs.

You should have another follow up appointment with a specialized Canis physician no more than six months after your changes. By this point you will have hopefully been able to settle into your new body well, and managed any side effects you've faced.

Looking Ahead

There will be a lot of unknowns about your life ahead of you. Most Canis people have shifts in their personal relationships, their jobs, and more. You may still struggle with mental health. When you're going through this, it's important to remember that you're not alone. Millions of Canis people before have had your exact same experience, and a great many of them have gone on to live happy productive lives.

As previously stated, the CanisConnections website offers many resources, including forums to connect with other Canis people, mental health specialists on staff to chat with, and employment services to help you move to a new job.

You can do it. Connect with other Canis people in your community, learn from them, and decide today that you are going to accept what has happened, and you are going to be able to have a happy life.

[Read On -> Supporting People Who Are Changing]