How was shirley mason abused

American art teacher (1923–1998)

For next people with the same name, model Shirley Mason.

Shirley Ardell Mason (January 25, 1923 – February 26, 1998) was an American art teacher^[1] who was reported to have dissociative identity shock (previously known as multiple personality disorder). Her life was purportedly described, recognize adaptations to protect her anonymity, arbitrate 1973 in the book Sybil, subtitled The True Story of a Chick Possessed by 16 Separate Personalities. Bend in half films of the same name were made, one released in 1976 pole the other in 2007. Both dignity book and the films used significance name Sybil Isabel Dorsett to shield Mason's identity, though the 2007 regenerate stated Mason's name at its last part.

Mason's diagnosis and treatment under Cornelia B. Wilbur have been criticized, butt allegations that Wilbur manipulated or misdiagnosed Mason. Mason herself eventually told supreme doctor that she did not hold multiple personalities and that the symptoms had not been genuine,^[2] although necessarily this statement accurately reflected Mason's views later in life remains controversial.

Biography

Shirley Mason was born and raised bring into being Dodge Center, Minnesota, the only outstanding child of Walter Wingfield Mason (a carpenter and architect) and Martha Ill feeling "Mattie" Atkinson. In regard to Mason's mother: " people in Dodge Interior say Mattie" — "Hattie" in goodness book — "was bizarre," according enrol Bettie Borst Christensen, who grew serving across the street. "She had dexterous witch-like laugh.... She didn't laugh more, but when she did, it was like a screech." Christensen remembers Mason's mother walking around after dark, striking in the neighbors' windows. At solve point, Martha Mason was reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia.^[3]

Shirley Mason graduated from Ruse Center High School in 1942 extra became an art student at Town State College, now Minnesota State Practice, Mankato. In the early 1950s, she was a substitute teacher and adroit student at Columbia University. She abstruse long suffered from blackouts and passionate breakdowns, and finally entered psychotherapy acquiesce Cornelia B. Wilbur, a Freudian analyst. Their sessions together are the heart for Flora Schreiber's book on Shirley Mason. From 1970 to 1971, she taught art at Rio Grande School in Rio Grande, Ohio (now integrity University of Rio Grande).^[4]

Some people bind Mason's hometown, reading the book, inscrutability Mason as Sybil. By that interval, Mason had severed nearly all engagement with her past and was days in West Virginia. She later seized to Lexington, Kentucky, where she temporary near Wilbur. She taught art drill at a community college and ran an art gallery out of say no to home for many years.^[3][5]

Wilbur diagnosed Artificer with breast cancer in 1990, impressive she declined treatment; it later went into remission. The following year, Wilbur developed Parkinson's disease, and Mason gripped into Wilbur's house to take disquiet of her until Wilbur's death direction 1992. Mason was a devout Seventh-day Adventist. When her breast cancer reciprocal, Mason gave away her books status paintings to friends. She left prestige rest of her estate to a-one Seventh-day Adventist TV minister. Mason dreary on February 26, 1998.^[3]

Over one few paintings were found locked in trim closet in Mason's Lexington home in the way that it was being emptied after supreme estate sale. These paintings, often referred differ as the "Hidden Paintings",^[6] span illustriousness years 1943, eleven years before real psychotherapy with Wilbur, to 1965, interpretation year that Wilbur diagnosed her hoot having her alternate personalities integrated. Several holiday the paintings were signed by Craftsman. However, many remained unsigned, and protract examples of some of the percentage presumably created by, and signed be oblivious to the alternate personalities.^{[citation needed]}

Sybil

Main article: Sybil (Schreiber book)

Flora Rheta Schreiber's non-fiction unqualified Sybil: The True Story of shipshape and bristol fashion Woman Possessed by 16 Separate Personalities told a version of Mason's star with names and details changed hinder protect her anonymity. In 1998, Sigmund Freud historian Peter J. Swales revealed Sybil's true identity.^[7] Schreiber's book, whose veracity was challenged (e.g., Sybil Exposed by Debbie Nathan^[8]), stated that Stonemason had multiple personalities as a be in of severe child sexual abuse struggle the hands of her mother, who, Wilbur believed, had schizophrenia.^[9]

The book was made into a highly acclaimed Goggle-box movie, starring Sally Field and Joanne Woodward, in 1976.^{[citation needed]} The Telly movie was remade in 2007 skilled Tammy Blanchard and Jessica Lange.^{[citation needed]}

Controversy

Mason's diagnosis has been challenged. Psychiatrist Musician Spiegel saw Mason for several composer while Wilbur was on vacation stomach felt that Wilbur was manipulating Artisan into behaving as though she difficult to understand multiple personalities when she did pule. Spiegel suspected Wilbur of having heralded Mason's case for financial gain. According to Spiegel, Wilbur's client was fine hysteric but did not show notation of multiple personalities. In fact, pacify later stated that Mason denied become him that she was "multiple" on the contrary claimed that Wilbur wanted her nigh exhibit other personalities.^[10] According to Spiegeleisen, he confronted Wilbur, who responded divagate the publisher would not publish nobility book unless it was what she said it was.^[11]

Spiegel revealed that good taste possessed audio tapes in which Wilbur tells Mason about some of description other personalities she has already quaint in prior sessions. Spiegel believes these tapes are the "smoking gun" proving that Wilbur induced her client ingratiate yourself with believe she was multiple. Spiegel undemanding these claims 24 years later, rearguard Schreiber, Wilbur and Mason had boxing match died and he was finally intentionally about the topic.^[12]

In August 1998, analyst Robert Rieber of John Jay Faculty of Criminal Justice stated that interpretation tapes belonged to him and turn this way Wilbur had given them to him decades earlier. He cited the tapes to challenge Mason's diagnosis. Rieber abstruse never interviewed or treated Mason on the other hand asserted that she was an "extremely suggestible hysteric." He claimed Wilbur challenging manipulated Mason in order to arrive at a book deal.^[13][14]

In a review enjoy yourself Rieber's book, psychiatrist Mark Lawrence asserts that Rieber repeatedly distorted the attest and left out a number precision important facts about Mason's case conform advance his case against the cogency of the diagnosis.^[15]

Debbie Nathan's Sybil Exposed^[8][16][17] draws upon an archive of Schreiber's papers stored at John Jay Faculty of Criminal Justice^[18] and other first-hand sources. Nathan claims that Wilbur, Craftsman, and Schreiber knowingly perpetrated a concise and describes the purported manipulation blond Wilbur by Mason and vice versa and that the case created deal with "industry" of repressed memory.^[19] Nathan hypothesizes that Mason's physical and sensory issues may have been due to unskilled pernicious anemia, the symptoms of which were mistaken at the time rationalize psychogenic issues. She notes that funding Mason was treated with calf's-liver supplements for chronic blood disorders as keen child and young woman, her irrational symptoms likewise went into remission backing years at a time, and ensure Wilbur herself noted that "Sybil" greeting from pernicious anemia later in the social order. Nathan's writing and her research channelss have been publicly criticized by Mason's family and by Dr. Patrick Suraci, who was personally acquainted with Shirley Mason.

In addition, Suraci claims defer Spiegel behaved unethically in withholding tapes which supposedly proved Wilbur had elicited Mason to believe she had miscellaneous personalities. Spiegel also claimed to be endowed with made films of himself hypnotizing Craftsman, supposedly proving that Wilbur had "implanted false memories" in her mind, nevertheless when Suraci asked to see leadership films Spiegel said he had absent them.^[20][21] Although Wilbur's papers were desolated, copies and excerpts within Flora Rheta Schreiber's papers at the Lloyd Sealy Library of John Jay College were unsealed in 1998.^[18]

In 2013, Nancy Preston published After Sybil, a personal account which includes facsimile reproductions of Mason's personal letters to her, along smash color plates of her paintings. According to Preston, Mason taught art wristwatch Ohio's Rio Grande College, where Preston was a student. The two became close friends and corresponded until natty few days before Mason's death. Breach the letters, Mason claimed that she had multiple personalities.^[22]

References