Sybil Exposed
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psychiatric treatment of, see Wilbur-Mason therapy sessions
psychiatry career of, 58–59, 63, 76, 77, 88, 96, 98, 105, 127, 133, 137, 139, 149
reclusiveness of, xxi, 18, 122, 174, 194, 201, 214, 230, 231, 236
schooling of, 9, 12, 13, 15, 55–57, 61, 62, 75, 76–77, 78–79, 87, 88, 89, 96, 98, 99, 100, 110, 122, 127, 137, 159, 191, 193, 199
Schreiber’s investigation into childhood of, 160–64
Seventh-Day Adventism of, 3–4, 7–8, 9–11, 12–13, 14, 15–16, 19, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 75–76, 93, 102, 103, 105, 111, 126–27, 129, 133, 134, 135, 164, 198, 231
Spiegel’s hypnosis sessions with, xvii, 130–32
stepmother’s warm relationship with, 129, 133, 190
suicidal leanings of, 100, 104, 131, 134
Swales’s investigation into identity of, 228–29, 230, 232, 233
teaching jobs of, 61, 65, 75, 76, 77–78, 87, 106, 137, 149, 191, 193–94
as underweight, 61, 62, 76, 77, 87, 123, 195, 215, 236
West Virginia move and, 139, 140, 141, 143, 145–46
Wilbur’s aiding in career ambitions of, 88, 98, 127–28, 137, 140
Wilbur’s financial assistance to, xviii, 97, 98, 111, 124, 128, 129, 137, 145, 214, 230
Wilbur’s improper relationship with, xviii, 62, 65, 75, 97, 103, 124–26, 128, 146, 164, 182, 194–95, 197, 202, 205, 212, 214, 215, 221
Wilbur’s visit to Dodge Center with, 135–37, 189
Mason, Walter, 6, 7–9, 12, 13–14, 15, 17, 18, 54, 55, 59, 60–61, 64–65, 75, 76, 77, 79, 87, 88, 92, 94, 108, 109, 123, 127, 162, 164, 198
death of, 128, 190
as depicted in Sybil, xiv, 170, 171
“recovered memories” of abuse at hands of, 110, 132, 157
Wilbur’s meetings with, xiv, 104–5, 170
masturbation, 10, 19, 54, 66, 102
Maxwell, Maureen, 79
Mayflower Shop, 159, 168, 192–93, 194
Mayo Clinic, 8–9, 60–61, 165–66
Meduna, Ladislas von, 45
mental hospitals, 38, 39, 41, 59, 64, 80, 82, 84, 88, 92, 137, 138, 139, 189, 210
barbiturates used in, 47–49, 50, 51–52, 53, 80, 83, 219
“hopeful wards” of, 43–44
lobotomies performed at, 49, 50
MPD wards in, 218–19, 225
Schreiber’s articles on, 117–18
shock therapy used in, 45–50, 80, 209
substandard conditions at, 46–47, 138–39, 140, 210, 219, 225 see also specific hospitals
Metrazol convulsive therapy, 45–46, 47, 48–49
Michigan, University of, 24, 27, 37, 41, 43, 83
Psychopathic Hospital at, 46, 126
military medicine, 50–51, 80, 81
Miller, William, 4–5
Michelle Remembers (Pazder and Smith), 216
Mondale, Walter, 156, 178
Morris, Dick, 115–16
Morris, Terry, 115–17
Morrow, Dianne, 195–97
Morrow, Jan, 195–96, 221
Moulton, Robert, 14, 135–36
Mulhern, Sherrill, 223
multiple personality disorder (MPD), xv, xvii, xx, 41, 46, 66, 86, 107, 122, 136, 139, 151, 193, 237
childhood trauma’s assumed link to, xv, 40, 211, 216, 217, 218, 235
as depicted in Sybil, xiii–xiv, 169–70, 172, 175
die-hard believers in, 227–28, 234–35
DSM-IV’s new name for, 225–26, 233
DSM’s official recognition of, xv, 213, 218
epidemic rise of, xii, xv–xvi, xvii, 210, 211, 216, 218–19, 222–23, 224, 225, 233, 236
“Eve” case study in, 84–86, 91–92, 142, 143, 148, 230
as feminist metaphor, xix, 85–86, 177–78, 179, 233
hypnosis in treatment of, 40, 66, 148, 212, 224, 227, 236
hysteria patients and, 39, 40, 58
“integrating” of personalities in curing of, xiv, 86, 104, 122, 140, 172, 211, 218
ISSMP&D conferences on, 215–17, 218, 219, 230
“Jonah” case study in, 148, 211
lawsuits for misdiagnosing of, xvi, 223–25, 226
Lexington’s high-rate diagnosing of, 146–48, 209, 210–11, 212
medical community’s marginalization of, 226–27, 233, 235
“memories” of abuse uncovered in treatment of, xv–xvi, 148, 211, 213, 216–18, 222, 223–25, 226, 235
Open Hospital treatment center for, 209–12, 213, 219
popular media depictions of, 234
prevalence among women of, xv, 39, 41
skepticism over, xvi, 142, 175–76, 201, 224–27, 228, 233
specialized wards for, 218–19, 225
Wilbur’s zealous treating and promoting of, xxi, 91, 107, 147–48, 195, 209–14, 215–17, 218, 219, 221, 227, 234
narcosynthesis, 50–51, 52, 80, 132
potential for false memories in, 50, 52, 93, 107, 158, 225, 227
in Wilbur-Mason therapy sessions, xiv, 92, 93–96, 97, 100–101, 102, 103, 107, 108–11, 136, 155, 157, 158, 163, 171, 175, 183 see also Pentothal
National Art Education Association, 149, 193
neo-Freudians, 81–83
neurosis, 38–39, 40, 84, 119, 126
New York Public Library, 29, 114, 207–8
New York Review of Books, 175–76, 228
New York Times, 24, 32, 71, 144, 173, 175, 208, 226, 233
Nixon, Hannah, 112–13
Nixon, Richard, 112–13, 150
Norris, Monty, 198–200, 202
Odden, Luella, 190–91
Odden, Muriel, 190–91
O’Neill, Eugene, Jr. “Gene,” 70–72, 114
O’Neill, Eugene, Sr., 70, 71
Open Hospital, 209–12, 213, 219
paranoid schizophrenia, 148, 157, 211
Paris, Joe and Marguerite, 192–93
Pazder, Lawrence, 216
Pentothal, 47, 48, 51–52, 53, 63, 80, 83, 107–8, 132, 184
false memories and, 50, 52, 93, 107, 158
Mason’s addiction to, 102, 103–4, 110, 111, 191, 220
as “truth serum,” 47, 48, 63, 102, 158
in Wilbur-Mason therapy sessions, 93–96, 97, 98, 99, 100–101, 102–4, 107–8, 109, 110, 111, 136, 157, 158, 163, 171, 183, 191
pernicious anemia, 219–21, 236
Peterson, Judith, 225
phenobarbital, 99
Plotnick, Harvey, 171, 172–73
Pontiac asylum, 46–49
Price, Willie, 79, 96–97, 99, 100, 101, 103, 105, 111, 159
as depicted in Sybil, 191–92
“primal scenes,” 132, 157, 169, 171, 172
primal therapy, 178
Prince, Morton, 66, 92
Prose by Professionals (Morris, ed.), 116, 117
psychoanalysis, xviii, xix–xx, 23, 80–83, 84, 88, 98, 159, 164, 228, 229
birth of, 40–41
child trauma assumed as root cause of mental illness in, 40, 52, 82–83, 91–92, 95, 157, 204, 205, 211, 216, 217
homosexuality as viewed in, 105, 119–22, 133–34
hypnosis in, see hypnosis
neo-Freudian approach in, 81–83 see also psychotherapy
psychotherapy, xix, xx, xxi, 86, 126, 178, 217, 237
barbiturates used in, 47–49, 50–52, 53, 63, 80, 88, 89, 219
“clinical tales” in, 118
false memory epidemic in, 222, 223–25; see also false memories
primal therapy in, 178
of Shirley Mason, see Wilbur-Mason therapy sessions
shock treatments in, 44–50, 80, 209
Sybil’s influence on, xv, xvii, xxi, 202, 218–19, 224, 228 see also mental hospitals;
psychoanalysis; specific mental conditions
radio, 67–69, 70, 71, 144, 256n
Raphael, Sally Jesse, 222
Regnery, 171, 172–73, 192, 193
Reiser, Leonard, 149–50
Richette, Lisa, 156–57
Riggs, Rosa K.,
211–12
Rio Grande Community College, 149, 191, 193–94
ritual abuse, 40, 50, 216–18, 223, 225, 226, 235
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 32, 34
Rudikoff, Sonya, 177
Sakel, Manfred, 45
schizophrenia, 31, 37, 45, 47, 48, 77, 82, 84, 117, 118, 119, 127, 128, 148, 157, 184, 209, 211
Mattie Mason falsely characterized with, 95, 107, 108, 109, 136, 158, 162, 166, 170
Schreiber, Esther Aronson, 28, 29, 30, 32–33, 34, 138, 144–45
Schreiber, Flora Rheta, xv, xix, 28, 67, 119, 134, 139, 140–41, 146, 155, 157, 176, 180, 181, 197, 233, 236
affected conversational style of, 32, 34, 150, 175
archived papers of, xi–xiii, xviii–xix, xxi, 118, 207–8, 228, 233
as budding writer, 28, 30, 31–32, 33, 34, 69, 72
celebrity mongering of, 112–13, 116–17, 145, 150
childhood and adolescence of, 28, 29–32
death of, 207–8
Dodge Center researching trip of, 160–64, 189, 199, 200
family background of, 28–29
fan mail received by, 176–80
fictionalized accounts in journalism of, 117, 118, 120–22, 168
freelance magazine writing of, 72, 112–14, 115, 116–18, 120–22, 168
Joe Kallinger’s inappropriate relationship with, 204–5, 207
lawsuits and legal troubles of, 192, 193, 194, 206, 208
Mason’s anonymity and, 151, 186, 189, 192, 200–202
Mason’s growing dependence on, 137, 138
mental health writing of, 117–18, 120–22, 137, 150, 158, 204–7
parents’ deaths and, 114–15, 144–45
physical appearance of, 32, 71, 119, 174–75
post-Sybil financial difficulties of, xxi, 206
post-Sybil projects of, 203–7
in radio and advertising industry, 68–69, 70, 72, 144, 256n
romantic relationships of, 70–72, 114, 149–50, 202
schooling of, 32–34, 75
sexual abuse of, 30, 31
Sybil media promotion by, 173, 174–75, 193, 201, 202
teaching career of, 69–70, 71, 72, 115, 122, 149, 208
Wilbur’s first collaboration with, 120–22
Wilbur’s strained relationship with, 175, 202, 207
Schreiber, Ignatz, 28
Schreiber, William, 28–30, 32, 33, 34, 114–15, 207
Schwartz, Julia, 57, 78
Schwiderski, Kathryn, 225, 226
Seconal, 88, 99, 104
Serpatilin, 99
Seventh-Day Adventism, 3–8, 9–11, 12–13, 14, 15–16, 23, 54, 58, 59, 60, 61, 64, 65, 66, 75–76, 77, 78, 79, 93, 102, 103, 111, 135, 139, 163, 190, 198
education in, 9, 12, 15, 55
sex roles in, 55, 57
Shirley Mason’s attempt to convert Wilbur to, 126–27
Shirley Mason’s devotion to, 3, 13, 15, 19, 58, 75–76, 105, 126–27, 129, 133, 134, 164, 231
sexism, xix, 20, 22, 24–25, 37, 69
sexual abuse, 40, 105
of Flora Schreiber, 30, 31
Mason’s “recovered memories” of, xii, 94, 103, 107, 110, 132–33, 157–58
MPD’s assumed link to, 40, 211, 218
MPD treatment and uncovered “memories” of, 211, 213, 216, 217, 222, 223–25, 226, 235
panic epidemics of, xvii–xviii, 217, 223, 226
“primal scenes” of, 132, 157, 169, 171, 172
rise in public consciousness of, 156–57
Satanic and ritualistic “memories” of, 40, 50, 216–18, 223, 225, 226, 235
in Sybil, xiv, 157, 158, 169, 173, 175, 179
Shainess, Natalie, 131
Shoemaker, The: Anatomy of a Psychotic (Schreiber), 203–6, 208
Silverberg, William V., 82–83, 98
Sizemore, Chris, 230
Smith, Michelle, 216
Sorenson, Grace, 14, 161–62
Spiegel, Herbert, xvii, 130–32, 134, 228
State Psychopathic Institute, 41, 43, 210
Steele, Kathy, 235
Steinem, Gloria, 223
Stern, Stewart, 181–85, 186
suicide, 72, 100, 104, 120, 131, 134, 184, 210
Surgeon’s World, A (Thorek), 167–68
Swales, Peter, 228–29, 232, 233
Sybil (Schreiber), xiii-xiv, 145, 146, 151, 155–56, 168–73, 184, 189, 191, 196, 203, 204, 230, 233–34
abuse scenes in, xiv, 169, 173, 175, 182
as appealing to women, xviii–xix, 177–78, 179
archived materials of, xi–xiii, xviii–xix, xxi, 118, 207–8, 228, 233
childhood abuse as central theme in, 157, 158, 169, 178–79
critical response to, 175–76
exposed factual discrepancies in, 194, 199
as feminist metaphor, xix–xx, 177–78, 179, 233
fictionalizations in, xx, xxi, 146, 168, 169–72, 190, 191–92, 194
first draft chapters of, 146, 168–72, 190
fishing for publishers for, 142, 146, 149, 151, 171, 175
“fleshing out” of alters’ personalities in, xiii–xiv, 142–43, 146, 155, 170
“fugue” episodes in, xiii, xiv, 158–59, 168–69, 182, 192, 194, 199
“Hattie” Mason’s bizarre behavior in, xiv, 164, 169, 171, 173, 175, 182
homosexuality in, xiv, 169, 173, 182, 191–93
lawsuits and legal backlash against, 192–93, 194, 206
media promotion for, 173, 174–75, 176, 193, 201, 202, 209
merchandising of, xxi, 180, 197, 214
modern psychiatry influenced by, xv, xvii, xxi, 202, 218–19, 224, 228
MPD episodes as depicted in, xiii–xiv, 169–70, 172, 175
MPD’s epidemic rise and, xii, xv–xvi, xvii, 210, 211, 216, 218–19, 224, 228, 233, 236
newspaper syndication of, 173, 174, 192
popularity and success of, xii, 174, 176, 180, 205, 208
“primal scenes” in, 169, 171, 172
protecting Shirley Mason’s anonymity in, xii, 151, 172, 186, 189–91, 192, 193–94, 196, 197, 200–201, 202, 214, 228, 231
pseudonyms in, xii, 151, 169, 170, 171, 172, 189, 191, 192, 229
public skepticism over, 175–76, 182, 183, 198, 199, 233–34
reader reactions to, 176–80
Schreiber’s demand for “happy ending” in, 122, 137, 141
Shirley Mason “outed” as main character in, 197, 198, 200–202, 232, 233
Stern’s list of queries for, 181–83
Swales’s investigation into veracity of, 228–30, 232, 233
and toll on Schreiber’s health, 174–75, 201, 202
Wilbur’s proposal for, 98, 122, 134, 202
Sybil (TV adaptation), xii, xxi, 174, 181, 184, 185–86, 190, 206, 211, 228, 234
Taylor, Rennie, 85
Termine, Ben, 149–50, 205
Thigpen, Corbett, 85
Thorazine, 99, 128
Thorek, Max, 167–68
Three Faces of Eve, The (Thigpen and Cleckley), 85–86, 142, 143, 148, 230