Sybil (1976) - Riveting

          

  Sybil is a 1976 movie based on a true story which is about the disorder known as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Bare in mind, although it is a true story there are controversies about the client Sybil and her diagnosis. I would also like to point that there was a recent remake of the film in 2007 where the story varies a little from the original movie. All in all the outcome of the book published about Sybil (Real name Shirley Mason) made DID (aka Multiple Personality Disorder) an official disorder in the DSM-111. There are still many individuals both scientist and psychologist alike who questions the validity of DID.

                In the movie, Sybil a Kindergarten teacher can be first seen having flashbacks while noticing a old lady pushing a girl on a swing, her flashbacks was of a younger girl being abused violently but when she is back to the present moment she seemed to be in different place altogether not knowing how she got there.

Real Sybil (Shirley Mason)

                One symptom of DID is that clients has amnesic episodes where they can't remember what had just happened or how they got to a different place. This cause anxiety or fear because one is unable to control their own life.

                 This fear and anxiety caused by puzzlement in ones own life cause Sybil to end up in  Dr. Wilbur's office (unknowingly she broke a window and hurt herself in the process). After that incident she herself comes to see Dr. Wilbur seeking help for her moodiness with her father. At one point Sybil's fear and anxiety built up that Sybil was about to commit suicide, that is when Vicky emerges (one of Sybil's split personality). Vicky is aware of Sybil and the other personalities Sybil has (16 personalities one of which is a child) but Sybil isn't. Vicky is the one who tells the past and other things that Sybil would not say to Dr. Wilbur.

              What Dr. Wilbur found out was that Sybil had a traumatic past with her mother who was 'diagnosed' as schizophrenic and her father who was quite neglectful (fathers were not responsible of their daughters development and care at that time because the culture of those time were of such where only the mom is responsible for it and father's to provide for the family). Her traumatic past cause Sybil to repressed her feelings and past through forming different personalities. That was her defense mechanism, what Sybil could not do, her other personalities could. Sybil was shy whereas one of her other personality was not.

              Defense Mechanism, Repressed memories and traumatic past such as childhood abuse (including sexual abuse) can be seen under the psychoanalytic perspective. This was the approach Dr. Wilbur used as later Dr. Wilbur does hypnosis to Sybil to find out her varying personalities as well as to make her a whole again. Only with hypnosis can these repressed memories and feelings emerge from the unconscious mind.

            I would also like to point out that Jung's Persona which is another word for mask is similar to DID. It talks about the different roles individuals play in society. We wear different mask (have different personalities) in different settings such as being in a party compared to being at work. One reason why we do it is so we are accepted by that certain group or we do not want to seem as an open book thus masking our true self. This of cause is normal in our everyday lives, DID disrupts normal human functioning and destroys relationships.

            Other themes found in this movie is stereotype and discrimination towards female psychologist and psychiatrist. Strong religious background (& culture) also caused in-congruence in Sybil's life where she has a personality just for her religious view and another personality just to act out against her religious upbringing

            While Sybil's case may have been misleading as the drugs given to her allowed her to fantasize and dream by Dr. Wilbur and all her personalities only started to emerge more after their sessions (causing some to assume Dr. Wilbur lead her client to believe she has these personalities), there are other cases which were true. Studies has also shown that a part of the brain of DID clients are different than of others. One true and interesting case (Sybil apparently was a scam in which Dr. Wilbur and her real client may have exaggerated it to become rich and famous) on a guy name Billy Milligan who had 24 different personalities one of which is a rapist and murderer. He would go for about 10 years not knowing what he has done (amnesia). He was one of the first cases in which charges were all dropped due to DID. Rumors has it that the life of Billy Milligan will be  adapted into a movie in which Leonardo DiCaprio is starring in and James Cameron may be the director. YESSSSS!
           

Billy Milligan's own painting of a few of his 24 personalities