Disney's "Frozen" Promote Mental Health Awareness for children

Disney is out with a new movie and it is getting very popular, as usual, among all - children and their parents. This is called "Frozen" and it deals with some mental health related aspects in the young children and adolescents. It is promoting awareness among people about the thoughts and behaviour of two girls, both quite different. The movie revolves aroung two sisters - Anna and Elsa. Anna, the girl with golden hair is a warm, and charming - always happy kind of girl. Elsa, the girl with blonde hair, is born with dark powers and nature. Although she is charismatic as well, but she grows into a emotionally withdrawn personality. These two characters show beautifully the inner fellings of a depressive person who is sometimes dark and sometimes outgoing in personality and character. The manic/depressive personality is also similar in nature and it can always be an ongoing struggle to remove darkness and keep up with inner warmth and goodness.

The movie "Frozen" explores the sense of identity, difference between normal and special, self acceptance, relationships, and their vulnerability. It deals with rebellion and social split between two individuals. This is the reason why it gels very well with both the group of intelligent people - the children and adolescents. Most of the disney movies cannot do this and resonate with same frequency.

Feelings and Powers of Elsa

Elsa, is the sister who has magical powers and she has to sit inside a room and always alone. She, although outward and social in nature, has to remain confined in the room by the instructions of their parents. Ana also loves her sister and sees a adoring friend in her although she remains physically disconnected with her. She sings for her from door outside and asks for her response.

Analogy or Elsa character and Mental Illness

Elsa need to sit inside the room alone all throughout her life with her own demons. She was fighting with her isolation and remains disconnected from her family. Disney has depicted Elsa’s character in such a way that it truly represents the feelings of a person who is struggling with depressive or other mental health issues. It is a very impacting example.

The song in the movie - “Let It Go,” has very thought provoking lyrics which rightly shows the social stigma of depression in our lives. A kingdom of isolation and it looks like I’m the Queen, explains the inner feelings of depressive people.

Elsa cannot control her powers, due to which people make her socially isolated and deserted. Similarly people with mental illness are separated and deserted, although they have lot of potential and strength within them. They are highly capable, yet fighting with themselves to connect with themselves and the world.

The movie plot also deals with the pain and suffering of people around you. The friends and family members of people with mental illness are pushed due to the mental illless and stigma. Poeple do not want to hurt the already suffering person and make them feel the reason of pain is the mental health.

Elsa's love for Anna

Elsa loved her sister deeply and truly. Although she was pushing her awaym they still were very much in love with each other and cared for themselves. She wanted to protect her sister from her powers and the love for her has made her stay locked for whole of her life. She wanted to protect her sister and she displayed love and positive message for everyone facing mental issues.

Elsa and BPD - Marines sing "Let It Go" on Youtube

Elsa, also showed some symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder. A poor impulse control and instable mood is what Elsa showed in whole movie. She was struggling with maintaining interpersonal relationships and carried a very different self-image. There is a pattern which makes the person ragesbitter, and punitive. They keep on swinging between good and bad mood and struggle to be confident and over-confident. The US Marines rendering the song "Let it go" with the enthusiasm shows how well it is connecting with people of all spheres and shows how it can show the feelings of the powerful people who are remaining till themselves.

Bravo to Frozen, Ana and Elsa, and Disney for giving this to us.