Sybil Exposed, Story Behind Multiple Personality Case Books

' Sybil Exposed'

Journalist Debbie Nathan' s new book unveils the real story behind the famous multi-personality case

Photo by AP Photo/The Mankato Free Press ' Sybil Exposed' by journalist Debbie Nathan tells the story of the pop phenomenon of psychotherapy that turned out to be a hoax. The story of "Sybil," a young woman claiming 16 different personalities, spawned a , a movie and a national outbreak of wild tales told to psychiatrists. But journalist Debbie Nathan believes the real Sybil, Shirley Ardell Mason, actually fell prey to an overzealous therapist, Connie Wilbur, and a corrupt journalist, Flora Schreiber, steering a story.

See also:
Although Mason did suffer legitimate mental illness, Wilbur's intense fascination with multiple personalities and unorthodox use of sodium pentathol, paired with Mason's extreme dependence on the doctor for and even rent, led Mason into a far worse situation than where she began. Prime Time Radio's Mike Cuthbert discusses Nathan's new book, Sybil Exposed, and the dangers of doctor-patient relationships gone wrong.

Related Health News and Information

— Receive access to exclusive information, benefits and discounts Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.