The Science of Monsters

Is it possible for people to have more than one personality?

Stevenson’s novel was later adapted to film in 1931 by Paramount Pictures (the same company reluctant to get involved with Hitchcock’s Psycho). Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde earned its star, Fredric March, an Academy Award for his portrayal of a man harboring the vast schism of good and evil. Ten years later, MGM tried its hand at the popular horror story, adding headliners Spencer Tracy and Lana Turner. 1941’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was directed by Gone with the Wind’s (1939) famed Victor Fleming. Just as Mr. Hyde might have schemed for nefarious gains, Fleming and the producers of the second film worked to hide copies of the 1931 version in order to lessen their competition. This is oddly reminiscent of Hitchcock buying up Robert Bloch’s Psycho, leading us to wonder what Darwin would make of these directors’ questionable actions in order to come out on top.

Norman Bates and Dr. Jekyll got us thinking about the actual phenomenon of fractured self. As a teenager, I (Meg) became fascinated with this topic, delving into nonfiction books like Sybil (1973) by Flora Rheta Schreiber, and The Three Faces of Eve (1950) by Corbett H. Thigpen and Hervey M. Cleckley. Both of these books were later turned into biopics, dramatically portraying the anguish of women who were an amalgam of numerous personalities. Fictionalized split personality has long been a popular trope in horror films, from Identity (2003), to Secret Window (2004), and Split (2016). While it has undoubtedly been perpetuated in forms of entertainment, the notion of split personalities, clinically known as dissociative identity disorder (DID), has been one wrought with controversy. Many in the medical community believe it to be a pseudo-condition, while others fight for it to be legitimized in both the medical and cultural spheres. This begs the scientific question, is dissociative identity disorder a proven condition? And what are the attitudes toward it in the psychiatric community? And if it is authentic, would this mean Norman Bates wouldn’t be responsible for his crimes? To find out more, we spoke with Mayo Clinic psychiatrist William Leasure, MD:

Meg:“Can you first tell us a little about your practice and the sort of work you do on a daily basis?”

Dr. Leasure: “I work in a practice called Integrated Behavioral Health. The name comes from our integration within the primary care practice, where we provide mental health services. The practice is an outpatient practice and we work hand-in-hand with primary care providers. The patients have a variety of mental health problems, with the most common being depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia, substance use disorders, and personality disorders. Patients are typically referred to me, a psychiatrist, for diagnostic questions and treatment with psychotropic medications. Most patients are seen by me on a short-term basis and then returned to their primary care provider for ongoing management.”

Kelly: “In the film Psycho, Norman Bates notoriously embodies his mother by wearing her clothes and speaking in her voice. He kills ‘as’ his mother and then is shown to not remember this act. Would this lead you down the road of considering a type of dissociative disorder?”

Dr. Leasure: “The behavior does in some ways suggest dissociation; however, its portrayal depicts a dramatized version of dissociative identity disorder, which is a controversial diagnosis that I am highly skeptical of. More common than embodiment of another’s personality are dissociative symptoms which may take the form of depersonalization (experiences of unreality or detachment from one’s mind, self, or body), derealization (experiences of unreality or detachment from one’s surroundings), or dissociative amnesia. These symptoms are not uncommon in individuals who have experienced trauma. They are typically short-lived and do not involve taking on another’s identity, dressing as them, talking, or acting as them.”