Almost all of us have been exposed to these Disney princesses at some or the other point in our lives, but little did we know how they all show signs of various mental disorders. Let’s take a deep dive into a few of these princesses.
- Anna, Frozen – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
The most popular character on this list is, of course, Anna from Disney’s 2013 animated film Frozen. Anna is a perfect example of what it’s like to have ADHD. Throughout the film, she is depicted as extremely impetuous and impatient as well as someone who gets delighted by the most basic of things. Since childhood and in numerous situations, Anna has displayed symptoms of ADHD. Anna exhibits symptoms of hyperactivity, inability to sleep, and rapid speech in the opening few minutes of the film, when she is a young child. She is easily distracted by external stimuli, as seen by the fact that she continues to run around on the day of the coronation and has to ultimately rush to the event, despite having been awakened early that morning with only one specific duty – to dress for the ceremony and there on time. As a result of her near-death experience as a child and her sister’s abilities, she has been socially isolated ever since. Anna’s lack of attention to detail becomes more apparent as the film progresses, as she continually knocks over objects and collides with other characters. Throughout the film, Anna is also always moving and squirming; if she had to remain still, she would almost always be uncomfortable. Anna was also irresponsible, as seen by her habit of running around in improper or perilous circumstances. Moreover, it is evident that she does not appear to listen when talked to and that she speaks very quickly without paying attention to what she is saying. For instance, she expresses her attraction to Prince Hans during the first few minutes of their encounter. Next, when she meets Kristoff, he must ask her to “hold on” since she speaks so quickly and he has difficulty keeping up. Throughout the course of the film, Anna demonstrates organizational difficulties with all her tasks and activities.
- Elsa, Frozen – Avoidant Personality Disorder
Elsa is another Disney princess whose maladaptive behaviours are easily identifiable and were evident as a child as well as an adult. Elsa shows characteristics of aAoidant Personality Disorder, and drops numerous hints about her life and her feelings in her infamous song, Let it Go. Elsa battles with self-imposed isolation and emotional estrangement since she was a child, and suffered an accident due to which her younger sister had a near-death experience. She spends the majority of her time alone in her room since the accident. We can also observe a significant shift in her family relationships, particularly with her sister since the accident. Elsa has a minor fear of not being accepted by others, thus she solely interacts with her parents. She persists in controlling and concealing her abilities, which has resulted in her isolation from others and can also be interpreted as a metaphor for her efforts to conceal evidence of her mental health difficulties. While Elsa avoids physical contact due to her powers, this has also taken a toll on her mental health, since physical touch is a vital part of feeling safety, security and comfort. During the early half of Frozen 1, we can tell that Elsa likewise battles with seriously poor self-esteem. Analyzing her song reveals numerous words and events that depict her struggle with mental health and development. For example, the lines “a kingdom of solitude and it seems like I’m the Queen.” does a wonderful job at portraying the social isolation Elsa has suffered since she was a child and how it has taken a toll on her. Another remark, “you’ll never see me cry,” demonstrates not just that Elsa conceals her emotions, but also how society views tears as an indication of weakness. During her song, we can see Elsa rushing away from the kingdom and struggling a bit, but finally she reaches the peak and begins building her castle, which can be a metaphor for slow healing and how there’s always opportunity for growth. Elsa’s symptoms may be seen in various sequences throughout the movie, ranging from childhood to adulthood. Moreover, these behaviours and schemas are not impacted by illegal substances, mania, or hypomania.
- Jasmine, Alladin – Bipolar Disorder
The Disney princess Jasmine is one of the few characters to exhibit symptoms of Bipolar Disorder, although it is unclear whether she has type 1 or type 2 of the condition. We primarily observe her during a manic episode, during which she exhibits extremely reckless behaviour. Jasmine is highly impulsive and engages in risky behaviour; she flees her home, steals an apple, and embarks on a joyride on a “magic” carpet with a stranger, with whom she falls in love. The majority of Jasmine’s depressive episode is only visible in the first few scenes of the story, as it does not last very long. Jasmine harasses potential suitors, weeps frequently, and has frequent emotional outbursts.
- Belle, Beauty and the Beast – Bibliomania and Stockholm Syndrome
Princess Belle demonstrates Bibliomania, a type of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Bibliomania is a disorder characterised by an unhealthy obsession with books. A person with bibliomania has books stuffed everywhere, may possess multiple copies of the same book, and may lack the desire to actually read the books. Bibliomania can disrupt a person’s daily activities and lead to anxiety and depression over time. While it is not a mental disorder, Belle displays symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome. She falls in love with the beast who holds her captive, a character who lacks proper etiquette, keeps slaves, has a bad temper, and may or may not also be abusive. Stockholm syndrome typically develops in hostile situations as a survival instinct.
- Mulan, Mulan – Atelophobia
Mulan struggles with Atelophobia, which is the fear of insufficiency; she believes that everything she does is wrong and feels inadequate. Her struggles with this are evident throughout the entire film, and unlike many other Disney princesses, she does not experience a significant improvement in mental health by the film’s conclusion. Mulan views herself as an outcast because she does not wish to be a submissive wife, and she feels profoundly ashamed of her decisions. The society’s perception of her as a “disgrace” further diminishes her sense of self-worth. Throughout the course of the film, Mulan is under a great deal of stress and is bombarded with failure-related thoughts. Even though she strives to be the ideal soldier and endures a great deal of adversity, her achievements are ultimately less significant to society because she was “just a woman.” In addition, many individuals deemed her conduct to be “rebellious.” It is detrimental to Mulan’s self-esteem that she shoulders the entire burden of honor and dishonor within her culture and family
- Alice, Alice in Wonderland – Schizophrenia
Alice is the perfect embodiment of Schizophrenia. Throughout all versions of the story, it is evident that a number of highly classic and widespread signs of schizophrenia are present. Due to her consumption of various foods and beverages, Alice experiences macrosomotognosia (her body grows) and microsomatognosia (her body shrinks) (her body shrinks in size). Alice suffers from visual, olfactory, gustatory, auditory, and tactile hallucinations; amongst many other she can see the Cheshire Cat, a floating cat with an unnaturally wide smile, and she consumes strange foods and beverages. Alice has a severe delusion that the Red Queen intends to decapitate her. Alice struggled to distinguish between dream and reality once she fell down the rabbit hole and genuinely felt that everything she saw was true.
- Aurora, Sleeping Beauty – Major Depressive Disorder
Aurora exhibits symptoms of a Major Depressive Disorder episode. Aurora spends most of her time crying and is frequently depressed after discovering that she is already engaged to a prince. She no longer enjoys getting presents from the fairies (such as the crown) as she once did. Aurora also appears to be fatigued throughout the rest of the story, however it is vital to remember that she has been animated to appear unusually tired to demonstrate that she is depressed and battling with insomnia and hypersomnia. Due to the fact that Aurora is a fictional character and we do not know the exact timeframe in the film, it is impossible to state with certainty how long Aurora suffered from her depressive episode. In all versions of this narrative, Aurora’s behaviour was not caused by illicit substances, mania, or hypomania.
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