Norman Bates In Alfred Hitchcock's Film Psycho

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The film Psycho (1960) was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and portrays Norman Bates, a character isolated from society. Norman has an interest in taxidermy and shares an unnaturally close relationship with his mother. He is diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID), which was known as multiple personality disorder in the past. Those suffering from DID have two or more distinct personalities that are also called sub personalities, wherein each personality features a unique set of memories, behaviors, thoughts, and emotions (Comer, 2016). Throughout the film, each of Norman’s sub personalities takes center stage and dominate his functioning. He uses his own recessive personality and his mother’s primary persona. DID is thought to result …show more content…

He may also have been unable to obtain employment, continued to have poor relationship with others, or consumed alcohol and other substances (Dell, 2006). If his symptoms had continued any longer he may have caused harm to himself. Psychotherapy is used as the main treatment for individuals with DID in order to improve their relationship with others, prevent crises, and to experience troublesome feelings that they are uncomfortable in embracing (Comer, 2016). Hypnosis is occasionally used for patients presenting with DID. In a typical hypnosis session, the therapist introduces the patient’s various sub personalities to one another (Comer, 2016). The main goal of therapy is to merge the different subpersonalities into a single, integrated identity and thereby relieve the …show more content…

One can sense his underlying annoyance from that scene and begin to worry for the young woman’s safety. The fear is further heightened towards the end of the scene when the young woman stands up to leave. On the wall behind her is a stuffed raven – a symbol of death. The film director’s angle of the raven’s sharp beak points directly towards the young woman’s neck as if singling her out for death. In conclusion, I can say that my perception of individuals with DID has changed because not all individuals with this disorder are so dangerous or show such loud

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