Movie summary: Sybil is a 1976 two-part, 3¼-hour American television miniseries starring Sally Field and Joanne Woodward. It is based on the book of the same name and was broadcast on NBC on November 14–15, 1976.
After suffering a small breakdown in front of her students, Sybil Dorsett is given a neurological examination by Dr. Cornelia Wilbur, a psychiatrist. She admits to having blackouts and fears they are getting worse. Dr. Wilbur theorizes that the incidents are a kind of hysteria, all related to a deeper problem. She asks Sybil to return at a later date for more counseling.
Various triggers that caused Sybil’s personalities to appear were the women with white hair, the sound of the swings, and the loud music from the piano. These things had triggered her personalities because they reminded her of painful memories from the past.
Sybil’s blackouts can last from 30 minutes to longer periods of times. Sybil would often change personalities and stated that she would black out for a year (change personalities) before returning to herself.