Sybil: Movie Analysis

The Sybil movie demonstrates the life of a young student graduate (Shirley Mason) who is diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder due to the psychological trauma that she suffered while young. The multiple disorder is believed to emanate from the severe child abuse that she went through which later developed to 16 different personality traits in her immune system.

Moreover, the Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) causative trauma involves physical and sexual abuses as well as emotional disturbances. Loss of an important friend or family member is also a developing factor for DID. It is argued to worsen as a result of painful memories, which are stressful in nature and are being thought on a daily basis. Sybil’s parents were always violent and negligence, an act that left an unforgettable past memory in her mind, tearing her mind into several pieces which are different to isolate the pain.

One of the symptoms which are evident from the disorder that Sybil suffered from is the auditory hallucinations.

It is believed that the disorder affected Sybil’s the auditory nerves making her have some hearing problems. She also showed a weird reaction towards unexplainable phobias such as purple color. Her disorder extremely begun from child abuse and trauma. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Wilbur mentions portrayal of the disorder as a psychological method of coping up with the disease.

Her interaction with Doctor Wilbur provides her with more accurate portrayal diagnosis and treatment of the Dissociated Identity Disorder. Moreover, the doctor performed frequent screen tests which minimized Sybil’s mind. The screen tests involved picture presentations, questions, and scents that might have associated with her trauma.

Furthermore, the doctor confronts Sybil’s past experiences in the psycho-therapeutic sessions. Finally, Sybil was subjected to clinical hypnosis to help in unlocking her past experiences, anger as well as anxiety. However, the prolonged memory of her past severe experiences of child abuse made Sybil suffer from the disorder for quite longer.

To conclude, Dissociative Identical Disorder is a terrible disease that is majorly caused by trauma, psychological torture and deep depression linger in one’s mind on a daily basis. It is associated with child abuse which stirs up painful memories, resulting in mental impairment. Sybil suffers from auditory hallucinations, lack of sleep and many other symptoms as a result of the disorders.