Sybil Exposed By Jenna Laposki
Eve White
Cornelia Wilbur • Parents: Arthur and Bertie Burwell • Two brothers Oliver and Richard • Was raised in a purely scientific family • All the children were home schooled until the middle school level. • Connie had a strong desire to be a doctor even at a very young age • Her parents strongly rejected this desire. They cited a need for a college education but not for medical school.
Entering a Mans World • Attended Williams Smith College for women until her sophomore year when she transferred to the University of Michigan. • Connie was seeking an environment that was more academically challenging. • Graduated in 1930 with a bachelor of science degree. • Was hired as a chemical librarian and got her first taste of fame when she discovered a “cure” for athletes foot.
Furthering Education • Humiliated after the failed foot cure, Arthur pushed Connie to get married instead of returning to school. • Married Henry Wilbur in 1934 • In 1934 Connie returned to Michigan University for medical school only to drop out due to Graves’ disease. • When she returned to school Connie chose psychiatry as her specialty.
Psychiatry • Worked in a hospital in Omaha treating the mentally ill, Specializing in hysteria. • Dr. Robert Dieterle, a psychoanalyst, became a mentor for Connie and got her a job at Fair Oaks Kalamazoo. • Connie began using shock treatments, barbiturates, and lobotomies to treat patients • Her techniques were filmed and shown to medical schools all around the country. • 1945 Connie has her first appointment with Shirley Mason, who would later be known as Sybil.
Shirley Mason’s Childhood • Born in January 1923 • Her parents: Walter Mason & Mattie Atkinson • Active members with the Seventh-Day Adventism • Shirley loved to fantasize and make up stories, something that was not allowed in the Seventh-Day. • Became a sickly child in sixth grade • Taken to Dr. Flores and diagnosed with anemia and extreme loneliness
College • Attended Mankato State Teachers College in Minnesota to become an art teacher. • Took a great interest in Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis • Anxiety and health declined. • Diagnosed with hysteria and it was suggested she go see Dr. Wilbur
A Mutual Attraction • Connie met with Shirley once a month for five months. • Both patient and doctor were fascinated with each other • As a diagnosed hysteric, Connie wanted to use Pentothal (Truth serum) to help Shirley. This went against Adventism • Transference and countertransference developed between them • Sessions came to an end when Connie lost her job and moved away. • Nine years would pass until they saw each other again.
Shirley in the Time Apart • Became a graduate student at Columbia University for teaching. • Shirley was thriving in this time apart. • Got a job as an art therapist for the mentally ill. She started to mirror the behaviors of the patients and soon feel ill again. • Moved to Detroit and became a teacher. She did well at her job but she was physically and mentally fragile.
Therapy • The relationship picked up right were it left off. • Sessions started off with Shirley talking about how her life was going while and what had happened in the last nine years. • Was prescribed a cocktail of different medications to help with her ailments. Many were habit forming drugs. • Suddenly during an appointment Shirley started describing to Connie about blanks in her memory • Ten days later Shirley showed up for her appointment but claimed her name was Peggy.
The Personalities • There were 16 different personalities identified during Shirley’s life time. • These personalities only came out around people who knew of her condition. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vANyDFgjZU
Repressed Memories • Shirley was given Pentothal to uncover more about the personalities and repressed memories • Was asked leading questions and focused on childhood trauma and Shirley’s mother. • Connie “uncovered” childhood abuse from Mattie • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRBZ0Kjisl4
Addiction • Shirley quickly became addicted to Pentothal • Once medication was withheld from her she stopped splitting into different personalities • Shirley wrote Connie a letter saying she made it all up • Connie said that this was a defensive maneuver by one of the multiples and Shirley should continue therapy
Sybil • Longing to make a name for herself again, Connie contacted an author Flora Schreiber to write the story of Shirley and her multiples. • After meeting Shirley Flora was on board for writing her story. • Shirley’s name had to be changed to protect her identity and together Connie and Shirley came up with Sybil • The stipulation of writing the book was that there had to be a happy ending. • Flora wanted the personalities to have more depth to them in the book and did interviews in Shirley’s hometown.
Publication • Sybil went on sale on May 22, 1973 • It became a best seller. • Shirley was no longer in treatment and was enjoying life as an art teacher. • Connie was traveling promoting the book on TV and radio while teaching at Lexington. • Received fan mail from people going through the same thing. • Sparked a made for TV movie deal, T-shirts, and board games. • The fame while great at first, would be the demise of Shirley
Life after Sybil • Connie died at the age of 83 in April of 1992 from a fatal heart attack • Shirley died at the age of 75 on February 26, 1998
Life after Sybil • In 1980 Multiple personalities became an official psychiatric diagnosis in the DSM • Epidemic of accusations during the 1980’s about repressed memories of abuse • False Memory Syndrome Foundation • Sybil Exposed: Debbie Nathan
Questions • Do you think there would have been a different outcome for Shirley had she seen a male psychiatrist over Connie? If so what do you think would have been different?
Questions • Do you believe that Multiple Personality Disorder or Dissociative Identity Disorder as its know today is real? Why or why not?
Questions • Why was there such a sudden influx of patients with MPD after the release of Sybil?
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