This is an analysis on the movie "Sybil," an incredible adaptation of a real-life case of a woman who suffered from dissociative identity disorder; formally known as Multi-personality disorder. I will be giving a brief summary, discussing the diagnosis, some of the signs, the symptoms, and the treatment involved in helping a person who is diagnosed with this disorder. I will also be sharing my personal thoughts on the movie and what message I think it was trying to convey to its audience. .
Summary of movie.
Sybil Dorsett is a lonely and shy woman working as a substitute teacher in New York City who without realizing it is living with sixteen different personalities; all she knows is that she experiences constant blackouts. After one of her blackouts, she ends up in a hospital emergency room with a cut on her palm and meets a psychiatrist on duty, Dr. Cornelia Wilbur. After Sybil opens up to the doctor, she informs her that she is suffering from a form of hysteria and encourages her to beginning a psychotherapeutic treatment with her that may reduce/stop the blackouts. After spending a couple of minutes with Sybil during an hysterical episode, with one of her child-like personalities named Peggy, Dr. Wilbur recognizes that Sybil is suffering from multiple personality syndrome.
From there on, the personalities begin to introduce themselves to the doctor. Vicky, who is about thirteen years of age, confident, strong, mature, speaks French, and acts as the host to the other personalities. Vanessa plays the piano and is considered the pretties of them all; she and Sybil fall in love with their neighbor named Richard. Marsha is suicidal and wants Sybil dead. The personalities just keep on coming. .
As the treatments progresses, Dr. Wilbur figures out that Sybil's mother was the root to all her problems. She was the perfect mother in public but in private she was constantly sexually, emotionally, and psychologically tormenting her daughter.
