Episode 17 - Sybil (1976), Sybil (2007), and the big question: Does Dissociative Identity Disorder exist? (with Maz Fornasier)

PSYCHOCINEMATIC

TRANSCRIPT HERE

Maz and Steph finally present to you the magnum opus of podcast content about Mental Illness in film. They watched both versions of telemovies Sybil, and now you don’t have to. That, is the 1976 version starring Sally Field and Joanne Woodward, and the 2007 version starring Jessica Lange and Tammie Blanchard. (Our cover image contains the font they used in that 2007 version, which is harmful to my soul).

Get your ears prepped as we unpack the true story which inspired Sybil, and the cultural impact it had on diagnoses of Multiple Personality Disorder, which was since renamed Dissociative Identity Disorder, and all the ins and outs of what DID is and dissociation itself. PLEASE note trigger warning, this one is a bit of a trauma minefield.

CONTENT WARNING: severe child abuse, including sexual and physical violence and rape, and emotional abuse, suicide, self harm, PTSD, substance use, anxiety, panic attack, ableism, unethical therapeutic behaviour, sexism, miscarriage/death of newborn, violent death, transphobia

NOTE: This podcast is not designed to be therapeutic, prescriptive or constitute a formal diagnosis for any listener, nor the characters discussed. The host is not representative of all psychologists and opinions stated are her own personal opinion, based on her own learnings and training (and minimal lived experience). Host and co-hosts do not have the final say and can only comment based on their own perspectives, so please let us know if you dispute any of these opinions – we are keen for feedback!

Host: Stephanie Fornasier

Cohost: Maz Fornasier

Editor: Nicholas Fornasier

Music and artwork: Michael Watson

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REFERENCES

CBC: The true story behind Sybil and her multiple personalities

NY Times: A girl not named Sybil

NPR: Real ‘Sybil’ admits multiple personalities were fake

Wikipedia: Shirley Ardell Mason

Wikipedia: Dissociative Identity Disorder

Psychiatry.org: What are Dissociative Disorders

Sane Australia: Dissociative Identity Disorder

You’re Wrong About episode on Multiple Personality Disorder

Factually! With Adam Conover episode on ADHD

Andrew Nanton, M. (2021). Sybil Exposed: A Look at Dissociative Identity Disorder. Retrieved 3 September 2021, from https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/sybil-exposed-look-dissociative-identity-disorder

Boysen, G. (2011). The Scientific Status of Childhood Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Review of Published Research. Psychotherapy And Psychosomatics, 80(6), 329-334. doi: 10.1159/000323403

DRAAISMA, D. (2015). Forgetting. NEW HAVEN: YALE University Press.

Lynn, S., Lilienfeld, S., Merckelbach, H., Giesbrecht, T., & van der Kloet, D. (2012). Dissociation and Dissociative Disorders. Current Directions In Psychological Science, 21(1), 48-53. doi: 10.1177/0963721411429457

Sybil, A Case Of Multiple Personality: The Natural History of a Myth. (2004). Journal Of Social Distress And The Homeless, 13(1-2), 167-187. doi: 10.1080/10530789.2004.11739502