London, Oct 23 (ANI): Psychiatry bestseller Sybil, that apparently tells the "true story" of a deeply disturbed woman with 16 personalities, has been exposed as a hoax after 38 years.
Author Debbie Nathan has reportedly discovered the letters of the three women, all dead, who formulated the concept of multiple personality, which later become an officially recognised psychiatric diagnosis.
In the letter they have admitted that they had created the character for "fun, fame and profit".
Therapist Cornelia Wilbur, one of the three women, who treated the patient Shirley, apparently convinced her to claim that she becomes Peggy Lou, Peggy Ann and Vicky during blackouts.
Wilbur won several awards afterwards for her contribution to psychiatry.
Shirley wrote in a letter to Wilbur, "I do not have any multiple personalities. I do not even have a double. I have essentially been lying."
"But it was quite thrilling and got me a lot of attention."
However, inspired from her character, the shocking book Sybil was written which gave shape to the concept of 'Multiple Personality Disorder' and is included in the syllabus of schools and colleges in US.
Ms Nathan who discovered the proof in letters archived at New York University has written a book on it called Sybil Exposed: The Extraordinary Story Behind the Famous Multiple Personality Case. (ANI)
|
|
Comments:
