Sybil Exposed: A College Friend Remembers Shirley Mason

An audio-slide show by Debbie Nathan, author of "Sybil Exposed: The Extraordinary Story Behind the Famous Multiple Personality Case." In 2008 Nathan interviewed Jean Lane, who studied art in college with Shirley Mason -- the real "Sybil" -- during the WWII era. Jean was 88 years old when she was taped. Her voice and recollections were strong.

[francinemhaas]

Someone who knew her later, after all the abuse, can't understand how Shirley came to be like she was in her twenties. I don't doubt that her mother had mellowed as Shirley grew up, but most of people's psychological problems are stemmed from the age of 12 and under. I don't know if it was all an act...but, I do believe she did have some sort of psychosis. Poor woman never lived a normal life.

[hebneh]

Well, Shirley definitely did have problems; this interview shows that. It wasn't all just imaginary, or made up by other people.

[christine]

i grew up with a very abusive mother, i was subjected to all forms of abuse. I was told that she was a Malignant Narcissist As an adult I suffer from PTSD, severe anxiety, severe depression, and night terrors disorder. I sleepwalk, I have hurt myself in my sleep, I have woken up outside and don't know how I got there. woken up in other rooms and don't know how I got there. I loose time. But they have never told me I have DID. I do "disappear. Sleepwalking usually happens when I am extremely tired or stressed And we all joke about it. There was the time after working 2 shifts I was too tired to eat when I got home and just went to sleep. I dreamed I wanted cereal and the next thing when I woke up was because of an awful taste in my mouth. I had went in the kitchen and poured a bowl of Tide and put milk on it and the taste woke me up. Then another time I was woken up by my roommate yelling at me. I was pouring milk on the leftover pizza on the stove. Then later, when my kids got older, they said that I stare at them and make weird small motions with my hands. They said I didn't respond when they talked to me and I didn't know they were talking to me. I didn't have an explanation so I just dismissed it. I did notice that I often blank out. Not hearing half a conversation because I seem to be going in and out. I felt it was inability to concentrate. I also blanked out in 2 minor car accidents, becoming aware only seconds before impact. I also noticed when it came to extreme emotional pain, not always mine, I would blank out. But one day I was shopping for groceries and suddenly became aware of a voice asking me if I was OK, I couldn't see her but I could hear her, then I could see her but I couldn't answer her. Then I was back. she was standing in front of my cart and asking me if I was ok. Never saw how she got there.So I went to my doctor, who sent me to a neurologist and he diagnosed me with seizures and put me on Tegretol. However when I went to therapy she said she didn't think I had seizures, she thinks its a disassociative disorder. Maybe we will never know. The Tegretol does seem to help. I can only hope that Im not running around acting like a different person during these "lost time" episodes. Im pretty sure I just freeze and stare into space.

[MrMangoman]

I just finished reading Sybil Exposed. What a fascinating account! I loved the book, it was so riveting and revealing. I grew up in the 70's and 80's and had always heard of the the book and movie "Sybil". Everybody talked about this phenomenon when I was a child and teen and it was simply part of our vernacular. I grew up Adventist, went to their schools and worked for them for 10 years and was shocked to learn of Shirley's SDA connection, but loved that part! Great job! More please!

[carenhelmich]

sometimes overbearing parents do more damage to there children than good.

[freepalestine]

Our professor made us read your book, Debbie Nathan. Honestly, I was shocked by what I was reading. You have done amazing job! It made me realize that there are doctors who would actually get someone sick to make profit out of it.

[shananalexander]

Parents that are over protective can be as damaging to a child as much as an abusive parent. Being too over protective isn’t love. It’s selfishness. Some people would call that love. It’s not. Being afraid to let your child experience life is abusive. Being too strict will just make a child become rebellious. I had a friend whose parents, because of their religious beliefs, was way to strict on them. My friend rebelled in a very large way. I had sympathy for her because MOST things in her life were off limits for her because it was a sin. She told me once she couldn’t breathe sometimes and felt like screaming because she felt caged. She was a very sweet, smart and witty person, but very unhappy too. Children need rules yes, but some parents take it too far!!

[addisonbrooke]

I have always been a mother searcher and faked DID for several years with my therapist who I thought completely believed me. It wasn't until I was 26 that I admitted I had done it for attention from her and others. She knew all along.

[DebbieNathan]

Thanks! For my book "Sybil Exposed, " I spent 3 years researching the lives of multiple personality patient Shirley Mason, her psychiatrist, and the woman journalist who turned the story into "Sybil." I traveled throughout the US and Canada and spoke with many fascinating people. They're in print in "Sybil Exposed, " and I thought people would enjoy hearing some of their voices. I enjoyed matching sound with visual material that supplements what's in "Sybil Exposed."

[johnbrowneyes]

I saw the entire TV segment of the Dick Cavett show at the Paley Center
for Media in Los Angeles. Was interesting, Dr Wilbur speaks about
meeting Shirley's father and how he seemed to be aware of some type of
mistreatment from her mother. There is a written note from Shirley in
the archives in John Jay College in NY (you can find it online). Shirley
writes how she hated her mother and was "hurt over and over" and "hated
the enemas most of all - it was awful!"

[toughgirl]

I would not accept this woman's analysis of Shirley. Dr Wilbur delved very deep into Shirley's family, medical and educational history. Many abusive mothers appear caring but behind close doors can be monsters. Joan Crawford comes onto that arena. She due to being an actor covered her abuse of Cristina and Chris.

[Love-qvnl]

I've seen my mom changed on me, one day she told me she was Eve, I laughed but she was acting different like a whole total different person. I didn't know then about this diagnosis. I feel sorry for her, she went through a lot of traumas.😢

[whitewashingable]

Regarding the last comment in the video: i cannot imagine any child feeling comforted by an overprotecting mother. You learn to cope ..somehow. But deep down you know that you miss yourself. So looking for a mother really is a search for the own self finally. And some "new mothers" get this.

[peaceandhonesty]

Dissociative identity disorder absolutely does exist. Whether Sybil had it I do not know as I did not know her or live in her world. I'm sure some people are misdiagnosed as is the case with every disorder. However I do not feel that the books/ the movie written about it helped educate people about the real disorder. True untreated DID is not a choice with which a person avoids life. It is not a sign of weakness. It is the brains response to severe trauma. I'm glad it is not anymore referred to as multiple personality disorder because all the different parts are merely parts of the one whole person. I would liken it to how a person without DID may behave differently depending on whom they were with eg one might behave very differently with their work colleagues to how they behave when in the company of a good friend. This is the same with DID however untreated the person with the disorder will not be conscious of their differing behaviour/parts. Different parts take on roles and parts of the trauma in order to cope at the time of the trauma. It becomes a problem when the trauma is over . The aim with DID is to work on bringing the person to a place of co consciousness and therefore whole again. I have witnessed that people with DID are commonly treated very poorly.

[DebbieNathan]

Christine, Flora Schreiber collected all medical records on the Mason family, including the mother, that she could find. Among Schreiber's papers are medical records for Martha "Mattie" Mason dating 1912--they indicate she had what today we'd call depression. There's much discussion in Shirley's therapy diaries, and Shreiber's and Wilbur's discussions, of Mattie Mason's cancer and her depression. There is nothing about schizophrenia. You can look at these docs at John Jay College library in NYC.

[caitlinjane]

Weird how the kind of mother Shirley had according to Jean Lane is completely different from the mother depicted in the book and movies "Sybil." However, by listening to Jean talk about Shirley's dad, you can tell that the stories about him being neglectful of Shirley were true.

[DebbieNathan]

I researched the mother's history: spoke to relatives on her side, including a 90+ year-old niece who remembered Mattie Mason well. The relatives have no knowledge of a schizophrenia diagnosis. There is no known record of such a diagnosis, though Schreiber's papers they include records of a diagnosis from the Mayo Clinic from 1912, indicating Mattie Mason was, in modern terms, depressed. In her recantation letter discussed in Sybil Exposed, Shirley wrote that her mother wasn't schizophrenic.

[PinkyPuff]

Hey! Thanks for replying back, Debbie. I will read the book. Just need to get myself a copy! Can't wait, VERY INTRIGUED!

[mariadoloresŽVAB]

WIKIPEDIA:

Mason's diagnosis has been challenged. Psychiatrist Herbert Spiegel saw Mason for several sessions while Wilbur was on vacation, and felt that Wilbur was manipulating Mason into behaving as though she had multiple personalities when she did not. Spiegel suspected Wilbur of having publicized Mason's case for financial gain. According to Spiegel, Wilbur's client was a hysteric, but did not show signs of multiple personalities; in fact, he later stated that Mason denied to him that she was "multiple", but claimed that Wilbur wanted her to "be" people. Spiegel confronted Wilbur, who responded that the publisher would not publish the book unless it was what she said it was.[

[Dawghome]

I don't know why even today that there are still people who have or take issue with the diagnosis with D.I.D or multiple? I was diagnosed D.I.D or multiple personality back in 2001 and the tests back then we're very protracted and extensive so at least they were thorough, all I can think is, it does exist so, get over it and yourself, that film did a lot to help people like me to discover the diagnosis and to feel it's truth, this is my opinion just as you can keep yours, some of you are hysterical not us, I'm not a victim of this diagnosis because I sought a professional to diagnose me, I self recovered in fact. There is a kind of freedom in being able to escape into persona's that don't appear to suffer extreme bouts of anxiety and despair, I just wish the amnesia wasn't also a component but it is so there you are, opinions, like a backside we all got one!