Sybil Exposed The Extraordinary Story Behind the Famous

Sybil: Exposed The Extraordinary Story Behind the Famous Multiple Personality Case Presented By: Sam Margelofsky

The Three Women

�Fewer than 200 people world wide diagnosed with conditions that would be labeled today as MPD. �Considered medical curosities �Generally one or two alters �No known causes Multiple Personality Before Sybil

�Sexism �Dual-Occupation – Work and Motherhood �Postponing Motherhood �Avoiding motherhood al together �Exploring sex outside of marriage The Pre-Feminist Era

�Columbia University & Philadelphia �Dr. Wilbur �Traumas �Treatment Sybil: The “True Story”

�Born: January 25, 1923 �Dodge Center, Minnesota Shirley Ardell Mason

�Quiet and Slender; dark hair �Only Child �Liked to color and draw as well as play with dolls �Made up stories without actually writing �Imaginary Friends Shirley’s Childhood

�William Miller �Ellen Harmon �Adventism forbade: pretending, novels, short stories, art done in strange colors, sex outside of procreation, and masturbation Seventh Day Adventism

�Vegetarian Diet �Graham Crackers �Other Products �American Health Reform �Sabbath School Seventh Day Adventism Practices

�The Mason Family was one of the pioneering families of Adventism �The Mason’s practices The Mason’s & Adventism

�Shirley’s Parents �Walter’s Faith �Mattie’s Faith �Marriage, & Pregnancies Walter & Mattie Mason

�Willard Mason �Problems with Creditors �“Recovery” Mattie’s Depression - 1927

�Mary Mason �Mattie’s guidance �Angry because God would not answer her prayers. Shirley’s Problems with Religion

�Struggled to make friends due to her religion. �Developed anxiety in the 6 th grade. �Developed somatic symptoms �Diagnosed with Anemia �Became reclusive �Diagnosed with “loneliness” -1935 School Age Shirley

Dr. Cornelia Wilbur

�Arthur Burwell & “Pure Science” – Connie’s Father �Bertie – Connie’s Mother �Poughkeepsie, NY �Arthur’s opinion on women. �Winnwood and “the Mind Cure”. Cornelia “Connie” Burwell

�William Smith ◦ Liberal Arts Women’s College �University of Michigan ◦ Chemistry & Aviation ◦ Graduated in 1930; went on to become a Chemical Librarian Connie’s Education

�A “cure” for athlete’s foot ◦ And a Failure �“Marrying for Money” ◦ Henry March Wilbur �Graves’ Disease �Returned to the University of Michigan to study Psychiatry Connie’s Early 20’s

Flora Schreiber

�William & Ester Schreiber �Born 1916 �Spoiled, Only Child �Started “writing” as a two year old. �Irving Aronson ◦ Change in Behavior �Very Dramatic �Lacked Friends in School Flora Schreiber

�Columbia University’s Teachers College �New College & “The Community” �Studying Abroad in London Flora’s Education

Dr. Cornelia Wilbur

�Hysterics & Charcot �Peirre Janet & Hypnotization �Dr. Robert Dieterle -1933 �Kalamazoo Sate Hospital �Shock Treatments �University of Michigan’s Psychopathic Hospital Connie’s Early Psychiatry Experience

�Pontiac, Michigan ◦ Barbituates �Clarkson Memorial Hospital, Omaha ◦ Rosie the Riveter of Mental Illness �End of World War II �Summer of 1945 – Meeting Shirley Mason

�Original Symptoms & Improvement �Worked for her Father �Mankato State Teachers College, Minnesota ◦ Interest in Freud �Black outs and Other “Spells’ �Dr. Henry Wolman – Diagnosed as a Hysteric. �Kicked out of College in 1943 Shirley Post- High School

�Mutual Attraction �Adventism & Drugs �Shirley soon becomes dependent �Shirley’s panic attack �Transference/countertransference �Dr. Wilbur leaves Omaha Shirley & Dr. Wilbur’s First Meeting

�University of Omaha �Mattie Mason’s Death �Florence Eichman �Porter Hospital & Sanitarium – Denver �Memphis, Michigan – Teaching � 1953 – Applies to Graduate School Shirley’s improvement post Dr. Wilbur

�Connie moved to New York to learn Psychoanalysis. �New York Medical College �Frederick Keith Brown �Opens her own practice � 1953 - The Three Faces of Eve New York

�October 1954 �Symptoms �Immediately started taking habit forming drugs �Fugue-State Diagnosis Shirley & Connie Reunite

�Shirley’s first presented alter � 10 days after receiving fugue-state diagnosis �Description Peggy

�Three days later, Vicky, the second alter presents herself. �Peggy Ann/Peggy Lou �Dr. Wilbur diagnoses Shirley with Multiple Personality Disorder �John Greenwood Vicky

�Bringing out traumas �Shirley earns her Master’s Degree �Willie Price Pentothal

�Selling Shirley’s art work �Paid for Shirley’s medical school tuition �Paid her rent �Over medicating her patient �Discussing other patients with Shirley �Hiring Shirley to work for her �Doing Psychoanalysis for free �Weekend Trips Breaking Ethical Guidelines

�Peggy Ann �Peggy Lou �Vicky �Mike �Helen �Mary More alters

�May 1958 �Wrote a Letter to Dr. Wilbur �Dr. Wilbur convinced her that this was her unconscious way of avoiding treatment. �Dr. Wilbur diagnosis Mattie Mason with Schizophrenia. Admitting to Making up her alters

�Committing to her Diagnosis �The Wheat Crib �Clara More Personalities & Traumas

�Penthothal made her more anxious and depressed. �Hospitalized to break her barbiturates addiction �Moving closer to the Doctor Drug Addiction

�As told by stories Flora begins “faking” psychiatric stories

�Psychiatrist specializing in hypnotization �Speculated that Dr. Wilbur was pressuring Shirley into alter personalities. Dr. Herbert Spiegel

�Flora agrees to write to book, but only if Shirley gets better. �The Blonde �Integration The Cure

�The Start of the Book �Shirley blooms in Point Pleasant �Connie gets out of hand at the University of Kentucky Point Pleasant & The University of Kentucky

�Flora’s Skepticism �Amsterdam �The Woods �Adding in Fiction The Edit

�May 22 nd 1973 �Television appearances �The promotion campaign �Affects on the country The Book

�Stewart Stern – Made for TV Movie �His Skepticism �More Fiction The Film

�Childhood friends �Cut off from friends and family �Willie Price �The Mayflower Shop �Moved to Kentucky to be closer to Dr. Wilbur Threats to Shirley’s Anonymity

�The Shoemaker �November 3 rd 1988 Flora’s Demise and Death

�https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=w. RB Z 0 Kjisl 4

�A hospital for women with MPD. �Staff �More poor ethical conduct �Closed down in 1980 The Open House

�Entered the hospital in the 1980 s for nonpsychiatric reasons. �Pernicious anemia What was really wrong with Shirley?

�April 1992 of a heart attack �Her Records Connie’s Death

�MPD: They Syndrome of the 90 s �The FBI investigation �Suing Psychiatrists MPD after Connie’s Death

� 1980 - Multiple Personality � 1987 – Multiple Personality Disorder � 1994 – Dissociative Identity Disorder Changes to the DSM

�After Connie’s death, she became reclusive and attempted to sell her art to make money. �February 26 th 1988 The End of Shirley’s Life

�Do you think MPD/DID is a real thing? �How do you think Dr. Willbur reacted/felt after finding out that she’d spent so much time unaware of what was really wrong with Shirley? �Do you think she realized that she was wrong? �Do you think one story today could change psychiatric medicine as well as the culture the way it did with Sybil? Summary Questions