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Dissociative Identity Disorder: Condition or Coercion?

Vanshikaa Savla

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), earlier known as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), has recently become a popular theme for the world of literature and cinema. Interestingly, the diagnosis of this disorder originated from the publication of the book, Sybil, in 1973. The book was the examination of a patient, Shirley Mason, pseudonymous as Sybil in the book. Dr. Wilbur, Mason’s psychologist facilitated the discovery of her sixteen, autonomous personalities, each with differing attitudes, emotions and behaviours. This facilitation has been the epicentre of multiple controversies regarding the possibility that the fragmentation of her personality took place due to the therapy itself.

DID is signified by disintegration of personality into two or more identities plus extensive memory loss that cannot be accounted as forgetfulness. In Sybil, Schreiber (the author) talks about Mason’s sixteen personalities as Dr. Wilbur eventually discovers progressive childhood traumas in her life. The discovery of each new life changing incident seems to be narrated by a different personality, since Mason would constantly lose multiple days, even years of her life, when a new identity would take over. The dissociation began with the death of her grandmother, who she loved dearly. The first gap in her memory rose from this incident, when a third grader Mason directly woke up as a fifth grader, unable to cope with her advanced academic schedule or the amnesia. Henceforth, they discover a childish and volatile Peggy Lou, and then the worldly and sophisticated Victoria Antoinette. Most informative and in touch with Mason was Vicky, who seemed to understand her true emotions best.

Through the course of her therapeutic journey, the doctor makes a traumatic discovery that the primary cause of Mason’s agony has been her mother, Hattie. Her continuous infliction of psychosexual torture mechanisms on Mason was buried deep within her memory, which was extracted much further into her therapy. “What about Mama?” the psychiatrist asks her patient. Briefly, discounting the gory details of her suffering, it can be summed up in the lines “What’s Mama been doing to you, dear? . . . I know she gave you the enemas. And I know she filled your bladder up with cold water, and I know she used the flashlight on you, and I know she stuck the washcloth in your mouth, cotton in your nose so you couldn’t breathe... What else did she do to you? It’s all right to talk about it now...”

Iatrogenic diseases are diseases caused as a result of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures undertaken on a patient. They are suggestible, therefore partially or wholly caused/influenced by therapists. Dissociative personality has often come under the radar for being an iatrogenic disease. Since the publication of Sybil, multitudes of cases of Dissociative Identity Disorder emerged. In the beginning, it was assumed that the book brought about a new diagnosis, bringing to light a new kind of disorder that was only introduced in DSM-III. As further studies and research was conducted, criticisms against DID grew exponentially, stating that Dr. Wilbur used Mason to prove a theory, also causing the disorder to an extent.

Further, the adaptation of this book into popular culture and a prevalent theme for movies and books made it ‘fashionable’. As stated in a podcast, “It was the disease of the day, trendy and new and flashy.” It quickly became an epidemic, with a large number of false cases, contributing to criticisms against the disorder. Speculation continues in favour of and against Dissociative Identity Disorder. Perhaps it is the result of a disorder that induces the person to lie or maybe it is just a coping mechanism for depression, anorexia or anxiety, other afflictions that Mason suffered from. DID tends to suffer from quiescent and trendy phases, demeaned by the behaviour of hypnotists and naïve therapists. The possibility of alters probably offers a convenient way to express thoughts and expressions that may otherwise prove difficult. The ambiguity of its existence makes Dissociative Identity Disorder an easy target for hoaxes and money-making scam artists.

References:
1.     Dissociative Identity Disorder. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder
2.     Dunning, Brian. The 16 Personalities of Sybil. Podcast transcript. Skeptoid. May 7, 2013. https://skeptoid.com/episodes/436
3.     Frances, Allen J. Multiple Personality: Mental Disorder, Myth, or Metaphor? Psychology Today. United States. 30 January, 2014.
     4.  Nathan, Debbie. A girl Not Named Sybil. The New York Times Magazine. New York.              14 October, 2011.

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