Sybil Isabel Dorsett, a shy, twenty-two year old substitute teacher, became an interesting case, when the Sybil came into a mental health facility complaining of severe memory loss that resulted in unknown store bought items, "waking up," in strange place, and severe social anxiety that again resulted in a loss of time, and memory, blackouts, and emotional breakdowns, in public places. What was first thought to be hysteria, turned into another problem, after experiencing some of the patients, "hysteria." Born, and raised in the suburbs of Dodge Center, Minnesota, to a very successful and well respected carpenter, and architect, Walter Mason, and an often described as, "bizarre," stay-at-home mother, Martha "Mattie" Atkinson. Sybil seemed to have the all-American family, but reports sexual abuse at the hands of her well-respected mother, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia years before Sybil was born. A much respected art teacher at Columbia university, Sybil often teaches art classes to university students. .
After multiple psychotherapy sessions with Sybil, many memories begin to surface in the form of different personality, and different memories for each, "individual." After extensive treatment and research, Sybil has an extraordinary case of Post-traumatic stress disorder and Dissociative Identity Disorder, as the result of despicable sexual abuse endured at the hands of her mother. After psychoanalyzing memories of sexual abuse for years as a child, it seems as though Sybil has dissociated from herself as a defense mechanism to block out the abuse that was occurring. Which according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders include symptoms of, "two or more forgotten episodes, gaps in autobiographical information, time, or information, and episodes are not attributed to the use of alcohol or substance abuse.
