Sybil Aug13 '06

This movie has to be seen by everyone - especially in today’s society where anti-depressants are prescribed as often as Tylenol.

This is an account of a young woman’s descent into a terrible mental illness (today known as Dissociative Identity Disorder), due to a horrific and abusive childhood, and her ascent back to reality, as she begins to face the demons that have haunted her for so many years.

What’s truly brilliant about this movie is the sheer depiction of the feelings of horror, stored as memories, as well as the promise of hope, to a life without fear.

Feelings is the key word. How often in today’s "pill pushing" society do doctors really get down to the feelings - the source of the problem? Instead they just prescribe anti-depressants, which only serve to "mask" the problem.

The relationship between Sally Field’s character, Sybil, and the psychiatrist, was extremely deep, intense, and involved - and the fact that they eventually broke through to the source of Sybil’s distress was remarkable in itself.

I’m not going to say that all mental illnesses can be "cracked" as easily (not to say that Sybil’s case was even remotely easy), but it certainly is a "different" approach than some of today’s doctors take.

Many mental illnesses, today, are really not "mental illnesses," like Sybil’s was - back in the 1970’s. I’m not about to go all "Tom Cruise" on everyone, but it stands to say that depression, anxiety, etc, are only debated as mental illnesses, but how many truly believe that they are? Sure, there is physically a chemical imbalance in the brain, but the real question is how did it get that way in the first place?

Consider that it wasn’t until the late 80’s/early 90’s that anti-depressent medications hit the market. And before that, people lived with their depression, anxiety, or whatever the case was. They must have worked through it, because people survived thousands of years before the "magic mood pills" came around.

Sybil (real life name Shirley Ardell Mason) had a disorder that many refer to as "multiple personality disorder," which developed during the onset of her adulthood, due to an abusive childhood. Sybil portrayed 16 different personalities - in order to fend off complete insanity.

This is obviously a case where anti-depressants would have been extremely beneficial. Of course, only in combination with the existing psycho-analysis that she was receiving.

And, truthfully, if it wasn’t the 1970’s, but rather the 1990’s - Sybil’s story would have been very different. Probably not as interesting, because instead of fighting the demons off with her own abilities, she would have been relying on drugs to sustain her.

Overall, the story of Sybil is sad, scary, and strange - yet utterly remarkable and hopeful. It goes to show how truly lucky we are - to be able to feel - whether it’s sorrow, sadness, pain, anger, anxiety - those are all feelings that make us human beings. We are so lucky to be able to feel those things, as strange as that sounds.

In 1977, this story was harsh, but pure.

Unfortunately today we still have so many debates regarding mental illnesses, and anti-depressents only cloud the issue.

I think all doctors that push the prescription pad for the first sign of depression or anxiety should watch Sybil. It reminds us that we are indeed human - and there is a source to the problem, that must be dealt with.

Categories: Movies

Add Feedback (view all)