I have D.I.D. Out of the many portrayals and interviews that people in the media are exposed to, Sybil is about as close to the real thing that I've seen. Although I do tire seeing people with DID/MPD being portrayed as helpless and totally out of it. I have several friends that have DID and none of them are as portrayed in the media. I am a Paramedic and police dispatcher and have been for ten years... before that, I worked as a therapist as a social worker. I've always held a job and on those rare instances when the entire personality system does fall apart (all puns intended), there is almost always someone inside the personality system to take the reins. That's what is inherent about DID... the ability to persevere and "act normally" through the rough stuff. Sybil paved the way for future generations the way that Joanne Woodward paved the way for her generation into a better understanding of the way that DID works. I'm happy that they released the DVD (although I have yet to purchase it) now on the 30th anniversary. It is a testament to the perseverance of the human condition in times of severe abuse. I only wish that I could have met Shirley Ardell Mason and congratulated her and thanked her for her courageousness.
