Study on Sybil Isabel Dorsett's Case of The Dissociative Identity Disorder

Sybil Isabel Dorsett is perhaps the most well-known case of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Dissociative Identity Disorder is the presence of two or far more distinct identities or personality states. Every single identities has its own reasonably enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and considering about the atmosphere and self (Smith, 1999). This case seems in a book by Flora R. Schreiber and was later made into a film (Sybil). Sybil seems to have seasoned 16 separate personalities, two of whom had been male. These personalities had been created simply because of the horrific child abuse her psychotic mother inflicted upon her, along with the failure of her father to rescue her from it. Every character embodied feelings and emotions that the true Sybil could not cope with. The waking Sybil was deprived of all these emotions, and was for that reason a rather drab figure. She was unaware of her other personas and although they were in manage of her body, she suffered blackouts and did not bear in mind the episodes. The intervention of Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, a psychoanalyst, helped her to grow to be aware of these personalities. As stated above, Sybil developed a Dissociative Identity Disorder. Nevertheless, numerous of her personalities were designed throughout therapy. Right after watching the movie and analyzing her developmental history, I can say that she was capable to face her fears and far better her life due to the fact of therapy. In this paper, I will speak about Sybil’s developmental history, her different personalities, and how Carl Jung’s theory (the personal unconscious) match into her scenario.

In her scenario, the young Sybil suffered physical and psychological distress from the abuse of her beloved mother. From birth, Sybil did not expertise the bonds that exist amongst a mother and a youngster. Her mother made her believe that she was the most horrible child. This misconception was effectively coded with the abuse and rejection that she skilled. Sybil was the only child born to her biological mother and father, and was capable to obtain a loving partnership with her grandmother, who also lived in their middle class one particular loved ones residence in Wisconsin. Due to the authoritative manners of Sybil’s mother, her grandmother did not associate with her own daughter.

Whilst developing up as a youngster (about the age of 3 – five), Sybil seasoned a lot of distress. Her abusive mother treated her like a decrease class citizen. By her personal interpretations, she utilised the worst forms of punishment on Sybil. In other families, a child operating through their residence or asking polite questions is really acceptable. Sybil’s mother believed that such behavior was rude and unacceptable. The physical cruelties that Sybil suffered have been critical. The types of abuse Sybil endured included: being hung up (each hands tied to a chain) to the roof of an old barn, getting stuffed in an old chest, and getting laid on the kitchen table (with a piece of wood tied to her legs and hung up from the kitchen light). Her mother also gave her a black eye, which was by no means reported to anybody (due to the reality that Sybil was not but attending school). Her mother (who was a pathological liar) told her father that 1 of the neighbors had completed it. Not by surprise, this tiny girl was lied to and about several instances. One particular time, her mother tricked her by telling her that she was taking her to see her ideal pal. Instead, the mother took her to the doctor’s workplace to get her tonsils taken out. Afterwards, Sybil plead to the physician to take her residence with him. Unfortunately, the misleading methods of her parents caused Sybil to knowledge the fear of not trusting folks. All through the years of abuse (childhood and adolescent), each Sybil’s mother and grandmother passed away by organic lead to. Following, her father remarried, and Sybil moved out on her own. Throughout her life, Sybil had to deal with painful repressed memories from her childhood abuse. Sadly, the memories of her childhood (when onset) caused her to create a Dissociative Identity Disorder.

In Sybil’s case, there have been sixteen various personalities, like herself or the “waking” Sybil. That’s a lot of men and women to share a life with. Victoria Antoinette, or Vicky, was a confident, self-assured character who was a thirteen years old child from Paris. Peggy Lou and Peggy Ann Baldwin, were both 9-year-old personalities, and were often observed with each other. Peggy Lou was usually mad about one thing, and Peggy Ann was often afraid (Vicky mentioned Peggy Ann was a lot more tact than Peggy Lou). Marcia Lynn Dorsett (sometimes Marcia Lynn Baldwin) was an artistic and usually suicidal character. Ruth was the youngest personality and she was only two.

Vanessa Gail Dorsett was a personality who was Marcia’s greatest buddy. They shared similar interests such as travelling, theatre going, concerts, visiting locations of historical interest and purchasing decision books. They were generally in handle of Sybil at the same time. Vanessa was musically inclined and played the piano. Mary Lucinda Saunders Dorsett was a grandmotherly personality, and she took her name from Sybil’s late-grandmother. Marjorie was yet another personality who was a tease. She normally referred to Sybil as “you-know-who”. The most exciting factor about Marjorie was that like most of the other personalities, she by no means seemed to be or have been depressed. Mike and Sid have been the only 2 male personalities. They were both carpenters and built all kinds of stuff. Nancy Lou Ann was a personality who was interested in politics and had a fear of Roman Catholics. Sybil Ann was a personality who was extremely listless and pale. Clara was really religious and wasn’t as well fond of Sybil. The Blonde was a character who didn’t have a real name, and she seemed to be perpetually eighteen years old. The waking Sybil was depleted, had a undesirable self-image, and feared purple and green. All 16 personalities had separate suggestions, backgrounds, and personal appearances.

Vicky came into existence when Sybil was 16 years old. At that time, it was Vicky’s duty to sustain Sybil’s poise, self-confidence, and her capacity to negotiate the globe. Her observing, recording, and remembering capabilities gave her the foundations for establishing a continuity of memory, which was the important deficit in Sybil’s miserable existence. Vicky saw life as complete, producing her the most well rounded personality of them all.

Vicky’s character seemed to have a greater sense of control when she made her appearances. Even though Peggy Lou seemed to quickly seem when Sybil faced any type of anger invoking circumstance, Vicky seemed to drift in and out, generating her own choices about when she was necessary. This passivity appears to be reflected in a later comment made by Sybil about how she didn’t leave Vicky behind, but when she couldn’t do some thing, Vicky did it for her.

At the age of 23, the expectation was constructed upon the reality that some personalities, especially Vicky, had to be in handle and know what was going on because the waking Sybil was no longer aware of all her movements. Until Sybil entered therapy, she was not conscious of the events occurring for the duration of her blank moments. Vicky was capable to bring the whole story collectively due to the fact she witnessed Sybil’s life from an early age. At the age of 28, Sybil was introduced to Dr. Cornelia Wilbur by a hospital after she slit her wrist and almost killed herself in a hospital in New York. Vicky’s poise and self-confidence created Dr. Wilbur wonder whether it should be Vicky that all the other personalities must be integrated rather than Sybil. This can be explained in terms of threshold values. Thus when Vicky is brought out, the neural connections involved in maintaining these elements of Sybil’s character (in her consciousness). These connections are weaker and have a reduced threshold value which means they are less resistant to disruption caused by trauma, and probably the initial to break. Even so, this view implies that all the personalities have independent units in the brain that can be switched on and off from Sybil’s consciousness.

Beneath hypnosis a component of the person becomes dissociated, and acts as an overseer to the events that take location. They remain in touch with the reality of the circumstance, but remain out of awareness of the hypnotized subject (Zastrow, Ashman, 2001). In Sybil’s case, Vicky represents this hidden observer, and logically explains why she is the initial to seem.

An angry personality appears to be one particular of the most widespread in Dissociative Identity Disorder sufferers (Pikunas, Albrecht, 1998). Peggy was produced by a single of Sybil’s earliest dissociations in order to cope with the anger that Sybil felt towards her mother but was by no means in a position to express (around the age of 29). Dr. Wilbur identified that there have been two levels of denial towards the mother displayed by the personalities. The initial was to deny the feelings of hatred for her, and the second was to deny that she was even related (Sybil, 1976). The second level is what Vicky opted for, and went as far as creating herself a large and loving loved ones, who lived abroad and had been coming for her. When Sybil could ultimately accept and express hatred for her mother, it was only then that Vicky could start to accept that Sybil’s parents were her own (later splitting into Peggy Lou who was angry and Peggy Ann who was afraid). The value of Peggy Lou can be noticed in the fact that she took over for two years of Sybil’s life when issues had been as well overwhelming and she could not cope with life (keep in mind that Peggy Lou was the one who kept her arithmetic capabilities to herself so that Sybil struggled back at college as her waking self).

Marcia was extremely inventive, her paintings showed a great selection of colors compared to other alter egos and she was confident that her writing and painting were superior to that of the other alter egos (with the exception of Vanessa and Vicky). Marcia would like to turn her talents to money but becomes frustrated when prevented by the others, mainly Sybil. Marcia was desperate to be loved but was stuck in the previous and depressed as a outcome of by no means getting loved by her mother (Schreiber, 1973). Although she was mischievous and can be light-hearted she was essentially a pessimist, somber and brooding. Marcia was also very emotional and seems to reside in extremes. She had the greatest require of all the alter egos for a loving mother, however this was equal by her guilt from having wished her mother dead (this guilt resulted in her depression and suicidal tendencies). Marcia relieves Sybil of her want and hate for her mother. Marcia was religious, though resented the prohibitions of it. She saw religion as depriving her of the opportunity to grow up freely. She felt trapped by speak of the finish of the planet, although believed that a better life would follow. Carl Jung very nicely explains Sybil’s Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Carl Gustav Jung was a single of the ideal identified members of the group that formed the core of the early psychoanalytic movement. These followers and students of Sigmund Freud believed that the Jungian theory is encounter driven. This approach keeps a single foot in the planet of outer events and the other in the inner realm of fantasies, dreams, and symbols (Zastrow, Ashman web page 104). In a main function “Psychological Types” Dr. Jung (1921), dealt with the partnership in between the conscious and unconscious as effectively as divided personality sorts into extrovert and introvert. He later produced a distinction between the private unconscious which is the repressed feelings and thoughts created for the duration of an individual’s life and the unfolded life possibilities and considerably far more. Further, the collective unconscious is inherited feelings, thoughts, instincts and memories shared by all humanity (class notes).

Jung taught that the psyche consists of various systems including the private unconscious with its complexes, and a collective unconscious with its archetypes. Jung’s theory of a individual unconscious is fairly equivalent to Freud’s creation of a area containing a person’s repressed, forgotten or ignored experiences. However, Jung deemed the private unconscious to be a superficial layer of the unconscious (Samuels, web page 88). In Sybil’s case, she was stuck in the stage the individual unconscious. She did not bring into reality the painful memories that her mother inflicted upon her. Jung discussed the mother’s complex by explaining that: “The nucleus is derived in element kind racial experiences with mothers, and in component from the child’s experiences with the mother. Therefore, the concepts, feelings, and memories relating to the mother are attracted to the kid and formed a complex. The stronger the force emanating from the nucleus, the more knowledge it will pull to itself”(Jung 1954). As Jung mentioned, children’s thoughts, feelings and actions will be guided by the conception of the mother. The items she says and what she feels might imply a fantastic deal to the kid and her image will be uppermost in the mind of her child. A complex could seize handle of the character and use the psyche for it’s own finish.

Within the personal unconscious is what he called feeling toned complexes. He stated that they constitute the private and private side of psychic life. These are feelings and perceptions organized about considerable persons or events in one’s life. Jung believed that there was a deeper and more considerable layer of the unconscious, which he called the collective unconscious. He believed that this layer is innate, unconscious, and generally universal. Jung saw the collective unconscious as the foundational structure of personality on which the private unconscious and ego are constructed. He believed that the foundations of personality are ancestral and universal.

A main aim of Jungian psychotherapy/evaluation is to establish an ongoing partnership between consciousness (ego) and the unconscious, versus what is happening in the unconscious and what is taking place in day-to-day life. Jungian theory understands the psyche as containing a drive toward balance and wholeness, differentiating and incorporating the different elements of the personal unconscious and establishing access to the collective unconscious. Jung named this the procedure of individuation (Peterson, 1996). In psychotherapy this unconscious material gradually manifests itself symbolically in dreams, in goods of active imagination, and in the transference/countertransference partnership among therapist and patient.

Most lost memories are lost due to the fact they have been by no means elaborately encoded. Perception is mostly a filtering and defragmenting procedure. Our interests and needs effect perception, but most of what is offered to us as prospective sense information will never be processed, and most of what is processed will be forgotten. As shown in Sybil’s scenario, information was blocked (forgotten) in order to quit her from being reminded of unpleasant items. We can assume that Sybil forgot the memories simply because she did not perceive closely in the initial place or she did not encode the experiences either in the parietal lobes of her cortical surface (for brief-term of functioning memory) or in her prefrontal lobe (for long-term memory). As I mentioned, Sybil repressed her memories in order not to deal with the discomfort that she went by way of as a youngster. Sybil utilised a defense mechanism (repression) that was quite destructive to herself. The essence of my argument is that Sybil Developed a Dissociative Identity Disorder. The assist of Dr. Wilbur gave her a helping hand to face her fears. The support of families and close friends are very crucial to those who endure from Dissociative Identity Disorder.