Cornelia Wild
| Cornelia B. Wilbur | |
|---|---|
| Organization details | |
| Type | Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst |
| Orientation | Freudian |
| Institutional context | |
| Affiliation | American Psychoanalytic Association |
| Operations | |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Geographic scope | National |
Cornelia B. Wilbur (August 26, 1908 – April 9, 1992) was an American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst best known for her long-term treatment of a patient diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, formerly termed multiple personality disorder.[1] She received certification in psychoanalysis in 1951 and contributed to studies on homosexuality and trauma, while advocating for child abuse prevention and women's medical education.[1]
Early life and education
Cornelia Burwell Wilbur attended William Smith College and earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Michigan, followed by an M.D. from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1939.[1] During medical school, she treated an agoraphobic patient at Kalamozo State Hospital.[1]
Career
Wilbur became a Diplomate of the American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry in 1946 and obtained psychoanalytic certification in 1951.[1] She practiced in Omaha, New York City, and Weston, West Virginia, before joining the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as a professor of psychiatry in 1967, later becoming Professor Emerita.[1]
She contributed to Irving Bieber's Homosexuality: A Psychoanalytic Study of Male Homosexuals (1962).[1] Wilbur lectured internationally on child, spouse, and elder abuse, and consulted on the Billy Milligan case in the late 1970s.[1] She was a Life Fellow of the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, and American Academy of Psychoanalysis.[1]
Treatment of "Sybil"
From 1954, Wilbur treated Shirley Ardell Mason (pseudonym "Sybil") for 11 years, diagnosing her with 16 alternate personalities stemming from childhood abuse.[1] The case was documented in Flora Rheta Schreiber's book Sybil (1973) and television adaptations.[1]
The diagnosis has faced controversy, with critics alleging exaggeration or fabrication for gain, as detailed in Debbie Nathan's Sybil Exposed.[1] Some supporters, including professionals like Colin A. Ross, defend the dissociative identity disorder diagnosis while noting boundary issues in treatment.[1]
Legacy
Wilbur published approximately 50 peer-reviewed papers and received honors, including from the International Society for the Study of Multiple Personality and Dissociative Disorders in 1987.[1] Her work advanced clinical understanding of dissociation and trauma in psychoanalysis.