Sybil

Summary (from the publisher): Here is the unbelievable yet true story of Sybil Dorsett, a survivor of terrible childhood abuse who as an adult was a victim of sudden and mysterious blackouts. What happened during those blackouts has made Sybil's experience one of the most famous psychological cases in the world.

Review: I consider this a controversial read because 1) Multiple Personality Disorder (now referred to as Dissociative Identity Disorder) is a highly contested disorder and its been many years since this book was published in 1973, and many believe the disorder doesn't actually exist and 2) Sybil herself has been distorted by pop culture, particularly following the movie made based on her life/this book in 1976. That being said, this book haunted me. I had a dream a couple days into reading it where I discovered that I had MPD and was wandering the streets sobbing. That's how disturbing I found Sybil's story of waking up to her own self in fifth grade, having no memory of the previous two years of her life. I can't imagine the trauma she went through with a schizophrenic mother who severely abused her. Her mother tied her up from her ankles as a toddler and forced adult sized enemas into her, force fed her laxatives, sexually abused her to the point where she was sterile, and constantly threatened her (including telling her she would force her fingers into a meat grinder). This book was an amazing look into the human mind's tenacity and ability to overcome the very worst ordeals.


Stars: 4