Sybil (1976)

Movie Background: 1976 American television miniseries

Director: Daniel Petrie

        <Sybil> talks about a young lady who suffered in DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) as she was abused in her childhood. DID means there are presence of two or more distinct personality states that recurrently take control of the individual. After altering personality, she may have totally different memory, history, behavior pattern, and personality. Sometimes, Sybil’s memory black out when other personalities came out. This recurrent dissociative amnesia makes Sybil has gaps in remote memory of personal life events, lapses in dependable memory, and experiences dissociative fugues. She may suddenly find herself in strange places and not remembers how she ended up there.

            One of Sybil’s personalities, Victory knows about other personalities exist, while the other personalities include Sybil did not know. This called one- way amnesic. These personalities switch when triggered by negative or stressful experience. DID could onset on any age so that we couldn’t tell when Sybil’s disorder onset. However, it is significant to tell that Sybil’s experience of prolonged, severe childhood sexual abuse with her childhood friends. This is the major cause for her to split these 16 personalities which indicate each of her friends’ personality.

             Dissociation is a defense mechanism and a bad habit as it indicates the personality trying to escape from the stressful and fearful situation. When Sybil heard her voice similar with her mother via recorder, her defense mechanism immediately opened and switched to a baby personality.

            In this situation, Sybil needs for supportive environment from her friends or family but her father is a very skeptical person who conforms church’ rules slavishly thinks that hospital and psychiatrists are not good for Sybil. Sybil’s psychiatrist, Dr. Wilbur is a responsible and sympathy person. She tried her best to help Sybil integrate all the personalities. This is important as it helps to create awareness of sub- personalities, and recognize, examine, confront triggers for switching. 

Short clip from Sybil 1976