A popular book (1973) and award winning movie (1976, 2007) depicted a case of abuse, repressed memories (RM) and multiple personality disorder (MPD) as a true story. The book and movie catapulted repressed memory and multiple personality disorder from less that 3 dozen cases a year in the United States to tens of thousands of cases in the 1980's & 90's. Peer therapists asserted, from early on, that this story was a fraud but were ignored. The sensationalized account of the therapist turned author was much more alluring and profitable. In 2011 personal letters by Shirley Mason (real client) revealed that the story was a fraud that she and her therapist perpetrated for personal gain. The documentary "Debunking Sybil and MPD" addresses the fraud prior to the confirmation with great effect.
This documentary is almost entirely the clients and therapists talking who believe in the assumptions and diagnosis of multiple personality disorder. The psychiatric treatment of people diagnosed with "dissociative identity disorder" once known as "multiple personality disorder" (MPD). False memories are specifically addressed for less than 4-6 minutes of the 48 minute film. This 4 to 6 minutes completely debunks the remaining 40 minutes is rather compelling. The United States is now a case study for a how a media manufactured hysteria can begin a domino effect that then goes on to isolate many tens of thousands of victims and destroy thousands of families.
A made for TV movie that was initially shown on NBC over two nights in 1976 had a huge viewership (a fifth of the households in the United States alone). The movie won Emmy Awards for acting, music and outstanding writing. Many different editions have been shown since and the a VHS tape of the movie was hugely popular in the 1980's. It was distributed widely and estimates of viewership top 100 million. It is still distributed. An additional remake of the movie was made in 2007 depicting the same story as "true" (now known to be a fraud).
Prior to the hugely popular book "Sybil" (1973) and followup popular movie on her life there were very few diagnosis for "Multiple Personality Disorder" (less than 3 dozen per year). High Schools began to read the book. Huge numbers of people saw the movie. Suddenly therapists nationwide were faced with clients streaming into their offices that claimed similar symptoms and therapists sought training from the heroine therapist book author who was seen now as an expert. All therapists and sought to emulate the heroine therapist depicted in the movie.
A made for TV movie that was initially shown on NBC over two nights in 1976 had a huge viewership (a fifth of the households in the United States alone). The movie won Emmy Awards for acting, music and outstanding writing. Many different editions have been shown since and the a VHS tape of the movie was hugely popular in the 1980's. It was distributed widely and estimates of viewership top 100 million. It is still distributed. An additional remake of the movie was made in 2007 depicting the same story as "true" (now known to be a fraud).
Prior to the hugely popular book "Sybil" (1973) and followup popular movie on her life there were very few diagnosis for "Multiple Personality Disorder" (less than 3 dozen per year). High Schools began to read the book. Huge numbers of people saw the movie. Suddenly therapists nationwide were faced with clients streaming into their offices that claimed similar symptoms and therapists sought training from the heroine therapist book author who was seen now as an expert. All therapists and sought to emulate the heroine therapist depicted in the movie.
The movie provided suggestive scenes and an explanation for the missing memories was said to be "repressions" (the word does not appear in the manual used by psychiatrists of psychologist). A person who saw the movie and was suggestible or in a suggestible state might then go to a therapist who had also seen the movie. The client and therapist had been influenced by errant assumptions in a movie depicted and stated to be based on a true story. The results were very often tragic for the client and for the loving family the client might have had.
A peer of the therapist, who had also counseled Sybil, shared in this documentary how Sybil doubted the true existence of the "multiple personality disorder" when he counseled her at the time. He implies that the treating psychiatrist was misleading or even fraudulent at the time of he authorship of the book depicting the story and the followup movie royalties and training sessions she provided. He confronted Dr. Wilbur but was rebuffed with "The publisher would not publish the story unless it were true."
A peer of the therapist, who had also counseled Sybil, shared in this documentary how Sybil doubted the true existence of the "multiple personality disorder" when he counseled her at the time. He implies that the treating psychiatrist was misleading or even fraudulent at the time of he authorship of the book depicting the story and the followup movie royalties and training sessions she provided. He confronted Dr. Wilbur but was rebuffed with "The publisher would not publish the story unless it were true."
Her popular book and films meant income for the publishing house, income for the broadcasting company and huge increases in business for every therapist. The financial incentive for the hysteria was huge. The movie depicting the therapist as a hero meant that all therapists all had a larger market of willing purchasers who wanted a therapist like the one in the movie!
Since 2011 the fact that this story is a fraud has surfaced to support the thesis of this documentary. The real name of "Sybil" is Shirley Mason. The real psychiatrist that provided the therapy to Shirley Mason is Connie Wilbur. The New York Post revealed:
"One day, Shirley started talking about blackouts in which, she claimed, she became others with various names and personalities — Peggy Lou, Peggy Ann, Vicky, etc.
Fascinated, Connie offered, “Would you like to earn some money?” She suggested that her patient could be the subject of a book. Connie offered to pay Shirley’s medical-school tuition and living expenses.
The personality split was a lie, Shirley confessed in a five-page 1958 letter that sits in the archives at John Jay [Criminal Justice Library]. She said she was “none of the things I have pretended to be.”
Shirley continued, “I do not have any multiple personalities … I do not even have a ‘double’ … I am all of them. I have essentially been lying … as trying to show you I felt I needed help … Quite thrilling. Got me a lot of attention.”"
"One day, Shirley started talking about blackouts in which, she claimed, she became others with various names and personalities — Peggy Lou, Peggy Ann, Vicky, etc.
Fascinated, Connie offered, “Would you like to earn some money?” She suggested that her patient could be the subject of a book. Connie offered to pay Shirley’s medical-school tuition and living expenses.
The personality split was a lie, Shirley confessed in a five-page 1958 letter that sits in the archives at John Jay [Criminal Justice Library]. She said she was “none of the things I have pretended to be.”
Shirley continued, “I do not have any multiple personalities … I do not even have a ‘double’ … I am all of them. I have essentially been lying … as trying to show you I felt I needed help … Quite thrilling. Got me a lot of attention.”"
Documentary prior to
Fraud Confirmation: "Debunking Sybil and MPD"
National Public Radio: The Sybil Story Truth
New York Post: Sybil is One Big Psych Out
Fraud Confirmation: "Debunking Sybil and MPD"
National Public Radio: The Sybil Story Truth
New York Post: Sybil is One Big Psych Out
BOOK: Sybil Exposed
Some imply that the American Psychological Association has responded to the crisis of fraudulent perpetration by renaming "Multiple Personality Disorder" as "Dissociative Identity Disorder". They now catalog "repressed memory" as "dissociative amnesia".
The original book and movie "Sybil" set into motion waves of hysteria that fueled the imagination and eventually influenced the "do it yourself therapy books" that helped bypass those expensive therapies. In the 1980's and 1990's the idea that widespread child abuse was the cause of discomforts, anxieties, overeating, lack of sleep and depression among the many other speculated symptoms of child abuse. The proof was often provided by repressed memories that had no physical or corroborating evidence decades after the alleged abuse. Accusers ended up tortured by false memories and isolated from the very families that could help them. Thousands of innocent people were jailed and convicted, tens of thousands were accused and suffered untold damage to reputations and livelihoods. Hundreds of thousands experienced familial destruction. The echoes of this fraud are still being experienced today.
It is now possible that new, government subsidized and more widespread insurance policies will fan the flames of fraud and continue to employ those willing to exploit the vulnerable. This could mean ever bigger waves of whatever the latest hysteria might be.
It is now possible that new, government subsidized and more widespread insurance policies will fan the flames of fraud and continue to employ those willing to exploit the vulnerable. This could mean ever bigger waves of whatever the latest hysteria might be.
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RESEARCH ON MEMORY BASED THERAPY
BOOKS ON MEMORY BASED THERAPIES
LEGAL CASES AND PRECEDENTS
HARMFUL PRAYER MINISTRY
PERSONAL "MEMORY HEALING" STORIES
VIDEOS ON MEMORY BASED THERAPIES
EXPERT LECTURES ON HARMFUL THERAPIES
NEWS ON MEMORY BASED THERAPIES
CLINICAL HEALING AND MEMORY
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RESEARCH ON MEMORY BASED THERAPY
BOOKS ON MEMORY BASED THERAPIES
LEGAL CASES AND PRECEDENTS
HARMFUL PRAYER MINISTRY
PERSONAL "MEMORY HEALING" STORIES
VIDEOS ON MEMORY BASED THERAPIES
EXPERT LECTURES ON HARMFUL THERAPIES
NEWS ON MEMORY BASED THERAPIES
CLINICAL HEALING AND MEMORY
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| Pictures are prior to recovered memories in 2015. |
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*** WARNING ***
If you are seeking help for personal struggles and a therapist, counselor or friend says that "recovering childhood memories can help you get better" then IMMEDIATELY get up from your chair (or off the couch), run to the door, open it and flee. Hundreds of thousands have lost families, years of productive living and squandered immense wealth with tragedy inducing therapy that produces horrid false memories, splinters families, isolates the client and is documented to cause decline in mental health.
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This is an effort to Break the Cycle of Shame