SYBIL in her own words: The Untold Story of Shirley Mason, Her Multiple Personalities and Paintings

by Patrick Suraci

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SYBIL? Dr. Patrick Suraci discovered the answer to that question in 1993. He learned that Sybil was Shirley Mason and they became friends. Flora Schreiber wrote SYBIL explaining how Shirley developed the 16 personalities as a result of her early childhood abuse. Using psychoanalysis for ten years, Dr. Cornelia Wilbur successfully treated and integrated all the personalities into one whole person, Shirley Mason. Shirley and Dr. Wilbur developed a friendship after therapy was terminated. They both bought houses in Lexington Kentucky. When Dr. Wilbur had a stroke, Shirley, her former patient, became her caregiver, never leaving her side. Despite several traumas in her later life Shirley never had a relapse or a return of her symptoms that are now called Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Throughout the years Flora kept Dr. Suraci abreast of Shirley’s accomplishments and well-being. This book contains paintings by Sybil and her alternate personalities (alters), Peggy, Marcia, Mary and Vanessa, with their different styles shedding light on the fragmenting and then integration of a whole being. Critics have attempted to disprove the veracity of Sybil’s case. In Dr. Suraci’s book, the reader will discover the ambiguities and false claims made by them. The evidence they misinterpreted is in Schreiber’s archives at the Special Collections Library at John Jay College and open to the public.Cindy Adams has earned the right to say whatever she thinks. "A recent book "Sybil Exposed" calls this original story "a lie." Comes now Psychology Ph.D. Dr. Patrick Suraci. Claiming primary access to Flora's archives plus personal relationships with Shirley (Sybil), Flora and Dr. Wilbur, he poops on that in his own , new book, "Sybil in her own The Untold Story of Shirley Mason, Her Multiple Personalities and Paintings."

Genres: Nonfiction, Mental Health, Biography, Mental Illness, Biography Memoir

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Lore LongSoulSystem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This should be more known than the "Sybil exposed"

[JD Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting read about Shirley’s life after Sybil, although at times the phone conversations could have been condensed a little as the verbatim transcripts could get a bit monotonous.

I wish there was more in the book about how Shirley felt at the time she was undergoing therapy. Things like how she coped with the different alters as well as the therapy process and how she viewed it all many years on. Unfortunately the book did not go into her discussing DID/MPD much at all.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I loved the movie but didn't care for the book.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible story!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I remember watching the movie many years ago. It's wonderful to one that Shirley lived well after all she went through.

[Darlah Aurani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always like how a bioghraphy told us a story about an inspiring ones. Then I felt in love more with the conversation, and the story that captured an amazing experiences that ever happened between Shirley and Patrick. Shirley Mason such an amazing creatures that would give you a strenght to keep and a lot to learned. And the paintings she made, totally absorb me into the things the personality feeling. The paintings is most worth things that could describe us about how to screening a kids wheter they have mental illness or not. Such a good knowladge beside it's controversial things outside. Well since I read the book as I took my mental illness class before, I could say it is a good aplication to know wheter it was compatible within the theory or not. Nice writing.

[Emma Peel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mainly rambling and stilted memories of telphone conversations with little purpose to them. A lot of arse-covering from the author about why he feels it is ok to publish previously private material, and how he purposefully formed a relationship purportedly caring for Sybil but which seems overjustified and somewhat oily.

One star for the paintings which are of genuine interest. Zero stars for the horrendous writing style; walls and walls of text that never reach a point. An uncomfortable read in which the author's true motive is never clear.