Disney’s Grown Up: Frozen Through the Eyes of GAD

Disney films have a multitude of meanings, often changing depending on the viewer. Some interpretations are positive and others are not. Some movies generate more discussions than others. Due to the popularity of the franchise, a lot of debate has gone into the movie Frozen. Does it contain a good message for kids? Is it really about familial love, or is it still about finding a guy? Is it anti-male, or does it just support strong women? Should Elsa have been the villain?

Frozen is only one in a long line of controversial Disney films. I personally think that all the interpretations have their merits and that the only solution is for parents to watch movies with their kids and actually talk to them about what they see. However, one particular interpretation captured my attention and I would like to give it a more in-depth examination.

I have always viewed Frozen, on a metaphorical level, as a story about a woman growing up with and learning to overcome social anxiety and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or GAD. Elsa suffers from anxiety, particularly around other people; while the anxiety is depicted as a result of her being unable to control her powers, it is still social anxiety and, since it often appears even when everything seems to be going well, could also be considered GAD. Anna represents loved ones who try and help the anxiety victim, although she does not fully understand what the problem is, let alone what will ease it.

Dialogue, imagery, and lyrics throughout the film support this interpretation. Elsa’s father teachers her a telling mantra: Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let it show. Why do I think this ties into social anxiety and GAD? Well, sufferers of such conditions must hide their anxiety in public. They’re constantly on the brink of panicking–especially so if they also get panic attacks–and society has taught us that such issues signal weakness. The stigma surrounding these conditions forces the victims to hide their symptoms, becoming just as anxious about exposing themselves as they are about being out in public and/or life in general.

We also have the “frozen head, frozen heart” imagery expressed through Anna. Pabbie tells Elsa and Anna’s parents that it’s a good thing that Elsa only struck Anna’s head because the heart is not changed as easily as the head. This key component of the movie represents two different levels of emotional pain: superficial pain which goes away after some cool-down time (the head) and the deeper, more unforgivable pain (the heart). When you harden your head towards somebody, you often overcome it when you’ve both had some time to calm down and realize the ridiculousness of the fight. When you harden your heart, you will not forgive the other person so easily–sometimes not at all–and that’s when a true rift in the relationship occurs.

What does this have to do with anxiety? In Frozen, Elsa becomes more scared of her powers and anxious about not controlling them after she hits Anna in the head with some of her ice. While it’s a more minor, more easily-fixed pain, Elsa still fears hurting someone like Anna again. This reaction embodies a fear that is often at the root of GAD and social anxiety: the fear of doing something wrong or hurting other people. Whether it’s a concern that doing something wrong will embarrass them or that doing something wrong will hurt someone, this fear commonly nurtures GAD and social anxiety in people who are overly-sensitive and/or care a lot about what other people think. Elsa fears that she would hurt people, especially Anna, so she hides away; when she causes a panic the one time she leaves her inner sanctum, she escapes as far from the public eye as she can.

The message of anxiety grows most prominent in Frozen when Elsa and Anna reunite at Elsa’s ice castle. After Anna tells her that she froze the entire kingdom, Elsa sings “I’m such a fool, I can’t be free / no escape from the storm inside of me”. She also sings that “There’s so much fear” and “You’re (Anna) not safe here” while Anna tells her “You don’t have to be afraid” and “Don’t panic”. Elsa and Anna acknowledge that Elsa is prone to anxiety and panicking, and this anxiety causes Elsa to accidentally strike Anna in the heart with some ice.

In true Disney style, Frozen even offers advice to viewers who have loved ones suffering from social anxiety and GAD. The trolls’ song, “Fixer Upper”, not only gives the key to resolving the movie’s conflict but also provides a suggestion for how to approach loved ones with mental illness, particularly anxiety:

We’re not sayin’ you can change him,
‘Cause people don’t really change.
We’re only saying that love’s a force
That’s powerful and strange.
People make bad choices if they’re mad,
Or scared, or stressed.
Throw a little love their way (Throw a little love their way)

And you’ll bring out their best.

The trolls tell Anna that love brings out the best in people; you can’t change them entirely but you can help them be the best version of themselves possible. If you treat people with mental illnesses with love and respect, they will be more receptive to your help and support and are more likely to get better.

The lines which particularly strike me in regards to anxiety are “People make bad choices if they’re mad, / Or scared, or stressed”. As someone who has had social and generalized anxiety for years, I find these lines sum up how people with anxiety may lash out. We’re not trying to hurt people; we just have a hard time controlling how we react when our anxiety makes us mad, scared, or stressed.

I know this post is rather long-winded but I have a strong investment in the subject. I connected with Elsa immediately the first time I saw Frozen, and I often take personal offense to how people analyze her character. As someone with social anxiety and GAD, I can understand (although not always condone) her behaviors and reactions. I’ve lashed out from anxiety and I still hide away because I feel too stressed when I go out in public.

People try and brush chronic anxiety off as people being lazy, nervous-nellies, or weak, but we’re not that at all. Chronic anxiety–all kinds–is a mental health condition which takes a lot of time, patience, effort, and love to overcome. Instead of denying it or trying to “fix” it, be like Anna and give your love and support to a loved one with anxiety or other mental health issues. You can’t control it and they can’t just “snap out of it.” Be patient, be kind, and give them your love and support; that’s all you realistically can do.

What do you think of this interpretation of Frozen? Do you have any interpretations of your own that differ from those mentioned here? Do you have unique views on other Disney films or the Disney franchise as a whole? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Update 11/25/2022: This article and other pieces of my writing, from The Writer’s Scrap Bin articles to original stories and poetry, can be found on Vocal.