Last night (and this morning) I watched Sybil, the movie, for the first time. I'd never read the book either so this was my first experience with the entire situation.
I have to say that Sally Field and Joanne Woodward did an amazing acting job in that movie and the premise of it all just broke my heart. Here was a woman who was so abused in childhood that she split into 16 different "people"? For those of you who've seen the movie, I cheered when Richard stayed and helped Sybil after he awoke to her climbing the bookcase.
Anyway, for some reason the DVR only record 3 hrs and 3 minutes of the 4 hour movie. So I was doing some research this morning on the internet. Sadly, most of what I've been reading indicates that "Sybil" (Shirley Mason in real-life) was not a multiple and that Dr. Wilbur actually coerced and created those personalities during therapy. That makes me more sad than I was when I was watching the movie. This poor, damaged soul went to someone for help and was taken advantage of without even realizing it. No wonder she followed Dr. Wilbur for the rest of her life.
In a way, aren't we all like Sybil? Each personality was different from the next. One was self-assured & sophisticated. Another was assertive & often angry. Yet another was fearful. Another personality was thoughtful, contemplative & a homeloving person. "Marcia" was extremely emotional. "Vanessa" was intensely dramatic. "Helen" was determined to achieve fulfillment. "Marjorie" was vivacious & quick to laugh. "The blonde" (a nameless personality) was a perpetual teenager.
I can see each of those characteristics not only in myself but in everyone I know. We all have those same components in each of our personalities. To me, that lends more certainty that Dr. Wilbur completely manipulated Ms. Mason during therapy. What has me leaning more in the direction of manipulation is that in 1973, prior to the publication of the book, psychiatrists reported less than 200 cases worldwide of multiple personality disorder in the history of the world. The number of cases diagnosed in North America alone between 1976 and 1998? 40,000! Of course, the devil's advocate in me says that the main difference between people with MPD/DID (Multiple Personality Disorder/Disassociative Personality Disorder) are that I, and everyone I know, can seamlessly integrate each aspect of our personality into a whole being. Those suffering from MPD/DID cannot. Maybe the book & movie finally gave people with this disorder the courage to seek therapy & that explains the large increase in cases.
I'm not sure what the true answer is. I remember the hysteria of Child Abuse accusations in the early-mid 80s and looking back I wonder how many people's lives that hysteria ruined.
Why am I blogging about this? I don't know, really. Just something that got me intrigued. Another issue that seems to rip away the curtain of "reality" and show me that even when we think we know something we never truly know what's going on around us and we never truly have all the facts. Somewhere a mother is rejoicing that Saddam has been hanged, while a wife and children are crying for the father they've lost. Somewhere someone's glad the holidays are coming to a close while someone else is sad to see it be over for another year.
Me? I'll just put that curtain back in place and carry on with my life like I always do. I prefer to be blinded to the truth around me, most of the time anyway.
Happy New Year!
A few of my sources:
FMS Online (False Memory Syndrome Foundation)
Religious Tolerance.org (4th quote from the top)
BBC UK - Horizon (contains a transcript of the program)
Ace Weekly (a weekly newspaper from Lexington, KY where Shirley Mason lived)
Reasons for Caution about Diagnosis of MPD/DID
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Friday, December 29, 2006
Year-end Survey
Since I'm a survey-loving fool, what better way to end the year than with a survey? I'm not putting it in a Bulletin because, well, they just get on my nerves sometimes. :)
o. Middle name: Anne (after my Nana)
o. Describe what the city/town you live in is like: Watauga is hustling & bustling. It's filled with shopping places & houses. I'd like to see more city-focused things to do, but maybe there are some & I've just never sought them out before.
o. Obsessions: Ed Kowalczyk from Live, The Sims 2
o. Last movie saw in theaters: Night at the Museum - HIGHLY recommended.
o. Favorite meal of the day (breakfast, lunch, or dinner?): Dinner, it's the only meal I'm not usually in a rush to eat.
o. If you could speak any other foreign language, which would it be? Once upon a time I would have said French, but now I'll say Spanish. It would open up a whole new world of communication for me.
o. Craziest thing you have ever done: Crazy bad or crazy good?
Crazy bad I can't reveal here, but crazy good....hm. I drove 8 hours to see Live in Kansas after work one night. That was pretty crazy.
o. Current best friend: I have bunches! Emily, Sweetpea, Michelle, Patty.
o. Dream career: Own my own business
o. Where you see yourself in ten years: Running my own company
o. How you would choose to die if you were able too: Painlessly, in my sleep, and 60 years from now.
o. Worst way to die: Drowning, I would imagine. Well, any way that's painful, really.
o. What do you believe happens after death? I believe we review our life and see what we could have done better, then we're reincarnated to face new challenges or try it all again.
o. Cutest male or female celebrity: Ed is my cliched answer but Brad Pitt & George Clooeny are super yummy too. Adam Duritz from Counting Crows is hot in an unconventional way. His intellect turns me on.
o. Movie that made you cry the most: Sophie's Choice/Schindler's List
o. Scaries movie you've ever seen: I try to stay away from scary movies, but Cujo scared the crap out of me when I was younger.
o. Do you own a cellphone?: Of course.
o. Longest phone converstaion you've had: Recently? Probably an hour with Sweetpea or my mom. When I was younger 2 hours wasn't uncommon. We didn't have the internets back then kiddies!
o. Current pet(s): Dog - Molly. Cat - Gina.
o. Worst fear(s): I don't like boats or bridges. I'm also not fond of sandy bottomed bodies of water.
o. Dream vacation: Egypt exploring the pyramids.
o. Favorite website: Fark.com
o. Describe how you look: I'm fat and ugly. I look like a graying fat teenager.
o. Favorite smoothie flavor: Peach, but only from Jamba Juice.
o. Best day of the week and why: Saturday - I'm off work & have the hourse to myself. Also, if I veg out I still have another day to get my laundry done (not that I do, I'm just saying!)
o. Morning or night person?: Night.
o. Do you want to have kids someday?: I used to, but now I think "Not so much." I'm happy visiting other people's kids. I don't need the stress or the headache. I'm not a person to be used as a role model & I'm afraid of how screwed up my kid would turn out. I mean, look at me! Pepe Rutherford O'Malley is all I'm good for.
o. What would/did you name them? And how many? I would have liked Keiran O'Malley and Jack O'Malley (although Tom firmly said N-O to Jack).
o. If you could live forever as one age, what age would that be and why? 25. I'm smart-enough to know better and dumb enough to worry about everything.
o. What attracts you to a guy/girl?: Sense of humor and kindness.
o. Favorite holiday(s) and tell about a memory from each one: Christmas. Every year we would have to sit on the steps until my parents were ready to let us come downstairs to see what "Santa" brought. They would torture us by getting their coffee and taking their sweet time. Of course we were up before dawn, but they sure did drag it out!
o. Middle name: Anne (after my Nana)
o. Describe what the city/town you live in is like: Watauga is hustling & bustling. It's filled with shopping places & houses. I'd like to see more city-focused things to do, but maybe there are some & I've just never sought them out before.
o. Obsessions: Ed Kowalczyk from Live, The Sims 2
o. Last movie saw in theaters: Night at the Museum - HIGHLY recommended.
o. Favorite meal of the day (breakfast, lunch, or dinner?): Dinner, it's the only meal I'm not usually in a rush to eat.
o. If you could speak any other foreign language, which would it be? Once upon a time I would have said French, but now I'll say Spanish. It would open up a whole new world of communication for me.
o. Craziest thing you have ever done: Crazy bad or crazy good?
Crazy bad I can't reveal here, but crazy good....hm. I drove 8 hours to see Live in Kansas after work one night. That was pretty crazy.o. Current best friend: I have bunches! Emily, Sweetpea, Michelle, Patty.
o. Dream career: Own my own business
o. Where you see yourself in ten years: Running my own company
o. How you would choose to die if you were able too: Painlessly, in my sleep, and 60 years from now.
o. Worst way to die: Drowning, I would imagine. Well, any way that's painful, really.
o. What do you believe happens after death? I believe we review our life and see what we could have done better, then we're reincarnated to face new challenges or try it all again.
o. Cutest male or female celebrity: Ed is my cliched answer but Brad Pitt & George Clooeny are super yummy too. Adam Duritz from Counting Crows is hot in an unconventional way. His intellect turns me on.
o. Movie that made you cry the most: Sophie's Choice/Schindler's List
o. Scaries movie you've ever seen: I try to stay away from scary movies, but Cujo scared the crap out of me when I was younger.
o. Do you own a cellphone?: Of course.
o. Longest phone converstaion you've had: Recently? Probably an hour with Sweetpea or my mom. When I was younger 2 hours wasn't uncommon. We didn't have the internets back then kiddies!
o. Current pet(s): Dog - Molly. Cat - Gina.
o. Worst fear(s): I don't like boats or bridges. I'm also not fond of sandy bottomed bodies of water.
o. Dream vacation: Egypt exploring the pyramids.
o. Favorite website: Fark.com
o. Describe how you look: I'm fat and ugly. I look like a graying fat teenager.
o. Favorite smoothie flavor: Peach, but only from Jamba Juice.
o. Best day of the week and why: Saturday - I'm off work & have the hourse to myself. Also, if I veg out I still have another day to get my laundry done (not that I do, I'm just saying!)
o. Morning or night person?: Night.
o. Do you want to have kids someday?: I used to, but now I think "Not so much." I'm happy visiting other people's kids. I don't need the stress or the headache. I'm not a person to be used as a role model & I'm afraid of how screwed up my kid would turn out. I mean, look at me! Pepe Rutherford O'Malley is all I'm good for.
o. What would/did you name them? And how many? I would have liked Keiran O'Malley and Jack O'Malley (although Tom firmly said N-O to Jack).
o. If you could live forever as one age, what age would that be and why? 25. I'm smart-enough to know better and dumb enough to worry about everything.
o. What attracts you to a guy/girl?: Sense of humor and kindness.
o. Favorite holiday(s) and tell about a memory from each one: Christmas. Every year we would have to sit on the steps until my parents were ready to let us come downstairs to see what "Santa" brought. They would torture us by getting their coffee and taking their sweet time. Of course we were up before dawn, but they sure did drag it out!
Great News!
What a great way to end 2006...
Domestic Violence Falls By Half Over 10 Years
WASHINGTON -- Domestic violence rates fell sharply between 1993 and 2004, the Justice Department said Thursday, noting that American Indian women and native Alaskan women are far more likely to be victimized than whites and other minorities.The Bureau of Justice Statistics said that "intimate partner violence" rates fell by more than 50 percent. The decline mirrored a decade-long trend in other violent crimes, and the department did not suggest a cause."There's still generally no consensus about why any crime in general has dropped," said Shannan Catalano, the study's author. "It's safe to say it's more than one factor that went into it."
Some experts attribute the decline to better training for police and more funding for prosecution, two key elements of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act. Investigators increasingly are better trained to handle abuse cases and bring them to court. "For the first time, there are entire domestic violence units in law enforcement," said Lonna Stevens, director of the Sheila Wellstone Institute, a Minnesota-based domestic violence organization. "We've had protocols and policies developed for responding to this." In 1993, there were about 5.8 incidents of nonfatal violence for every 1,000 U.S. residents above the age of 12. By 2004, that number had fallen to 2.6, the agency said. Homicides fell by about 30 percent, from 2,269 in 1993 to 1,544 in 2004. The Justice Department defines intimate partner violence as violence by a current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend or a same-sex partner. Stevens said police have been less successful responding to and deterring abusive behavior in some minority communities, where racism and cultural differences can keep reporting rates low. Over the 12-year reporting period, about 18 out of every 1,000 American Indian and native Alaskan women were victimized -- a violence rate three times higher than among white women. Black women were more likely than white women to be abused but the study also found that they were more likely to report their abuse to the police than white women. Women in their early 20s and women who were divorced or separated had the greatest risk of being abused, the study found. Violence was also more common in low-income households. Asian males, white males and the elderly reported the lowest rates of partner violence.
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There's still work to be done and I hope that the numbers aren't lower because women aren't reporting incidents as much as they have in the past. But overall this is very encouraging news.
Domestic Violence Falls By Half Over 10 Years
WASHINGTON -- Domestic violence rates fell sharply between 1993 and 2004, the Justice Department said Thursday, noting that American Indian women and native Alaskan women are far more likely to be victimized than whites and other minorities.The Bureau of Justice Statistics said that "intimate partner violence" rates fell by more than 50 percent. The decline mirrored a decade-long trend in other violent crimes, and the department did not suggest a cause."There's still generally no consensus about why any crime in general has dropped," said Shannan Catalano, the study's author. "It's safe to say it's more than one factor that went into it."Some experts attribute the decline to better training for police and more funding for prosecution, two key elements of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act. Investigators increasingly are better trained to handle abuse cases and bring them to court. "For the first time, there are entire domestic violence units in law enforcement," said Lonna Stevens, director of the Sheila Wellstone Institute, a Minnesota-based domestic violence organization. "We've had protocols and policies developed for responding to this." In 1993, there were about 5.8 incidents of nonfatal violence for every 1,000 U.S. residents above the age of 12. By 2004, that number had fallen to 2.6, the agency said. Homicides fell by about 30 percent, from 2,269 in 1993 to 1,544 in 2004. The Justice Department defines intimate partner violence as violence by a current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend or a same-sex partner. Stevens said police have been less successful responding to and deterring abusive behavior in some minority communities, where racism and cultural differences can keep reporting rates low. Over the 12-year reporting period, about 18 out of every 1,000 American Indian and native Alaskan women were victimized -- a violence rate three times higher than among white women. Black women were more likely than white women to be abused but the study also found that they were more likely to report their abuse to the police than white women. Women in their early 20s and women who were divorced or separated had the greatest risk of being abused, the study found. Violence was also more common in low-income households. Asian males, white males and the elderly reported the lowest rates of partner violence.
**************************************
There's still work to be done and I hope that the numbers aren't lower because women aren't reporting incidents as much as they have in the past. But overall this is very encouraging news.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Isn't he adorable?
Got this picture of my nephew the other day. He's wearing the outfit we bought him for Christmas and he has the Pablo the Penguin beanie baby we got him. Megan said he calls it his "best friend". :) (You can click for a bigger picture)
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. I know I did. Being on vacation is awesome. Usually I go crazy sitting at home. Not so this time. Must be the adderall, but I think the fact that I'm not stressed out is helping too. I needed a break from work and it's nice to have one. :)
Friday, December 22, 2006
Definition of Pathetic
n. Me.
Pathetic is reading an old post from February 2003 where I wrote "ctrl/n" doesn't open a new IE window. "ctrl/n?", I wondered. "What the hell does that do?" So I tested it. Yeah, it opens a new browser window just like I said in 2003. For some reason not only did I completely forget that information, but I didn't believe myself when I read it!New Year's Resolutions Come Early!
Normally I am *not* a New Year's Resolution girl. I may profess to have some but I don't expend much energy attempting to attain them. But this coming year is different. It's the year I'm finally going to grow up. What caused this sudden change? I don't know. I heard a spot on the radio on my way home yesterday and the guy was talking to a lady about budgeting and how if you spend money that your husband doesn't know or approve spending (it works both ways - he wasn't a sexist wonk!), then that's not a good marriage. You each have a say in what happens to the household finances and if one doesn't agree with spending it on something you shouldn't do it. Elementary school? Of course. Easy? Hell no. I'm selfish and I want what I want, when I want it. I'll blame it on the ADD but the truth is that I could control it if I wanted to. I just choose not to. Well, I've chosen not to in the past. 2007 is going to be the year that I work really hard to improve myself. To stop being a slave to my demons.
I've already created a household budget that I'll be going over with Tom. I'm not going to be as wasteful with money. In fact, I don't think I'll be carrying my debit card around anymore. It gets me into too much trouble. What does all this have to do with my new blog on Vox? Well, I'm saying 'buh-bye' to chrisomalley.net after 3 years. The domain will be up for a few more months but it will re-point here. There's no sense in me paying over $25/mo just to host my own domain when there are so many free web-solutions out there. It's just a complete waste of money. I blog mostly on MySpace now, but I will visit here or cross-post, I'm sure.
I have 2 big trips to plan next year - PA in June for the nephew's 3rd bday and NY in December to see the Christmas windows & have an early Christmas with the family! I haven't been home for Christmas since 2001 and that was a somber occasion since it was the first Christmas after Dad died.
Anyway, enjoy my rantings. If you have any practical suggestions on budgeting I'm all ears.Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Finally, some comments!
I figured the spam-bots were the only things around the site anymore and I was almost right until I got comments from the Clecks! WOW. I haven’t heard from y’all in a zillion years! Of course we probably hear about each other through the moms (more Jon & Tim, but still). I’ll keep the page periodically updated so I’m easy to find. If anyone wants my myspace address (where I’m much more active lately), email me and I’ll let you know the address. Liveedk **at*** yahoo.com. I’m always in the market for more people on my Friends List.
And on the crazy Texas weather front, Saturday will be 80 degrees. 
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