Guys I’ve randomly came up with some very complicated theories on OoT Zelda/Sheik’s psychological disorders. Still working on this. Give thoughts! Disclaimer: these are all headcannons and just because I like researching mental disorders for fun. Don’t take too seriously. However, I am looking at real diagnostic criteria.
It started out pretty normal. I easily diagnosed her/him/them persistent depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, dissociative c-ptsd, and nightmare disorder; which all make sense without breaking rules. I easily argued a dismissive avoidant attachment style because it mirrors real experiences I've had with avoidants. This is in that they slowly started opening up to Link, and then completely opened up, revealing themself as Zelda; then felt threatened by that vulnerability and intimacy, and performed that avoidant discard by sending Link to the past, so they’d remain isolated and alone.
So expecting to be done soon I was going through personality disorders because those are fun. So I got to schizotypal and I'm like huh that makes sense. They have odd beliefs and magical thinking (tho most of those could arguably just be real powers of prophecy). But yeah superstitious to the point others think it's odd even though they believe in magic themselves. Odd thinking and speech is especially seen through Sheik speaking in weird metaphors and poetry. They're obviously suspicious and paranoid. Behavior could be described as weird. Lack of close friends. Continues to be anxious in relationships even as those relationships progress. Since they express confused identity, impairments in intimacy, the odd speech and beliefs, limited emotional reactions/coldness, withdrawal from others, and suspiciousness, they'd fit the criteria for schizotypal personality disorder.
HOWEVER. It was then brought to my attention that when they reveals themself as Zelda (as an adult), her speech, beliefs, emotional reactivity, and behavior are “normal.” Which implies Shiek was just a strategic and/or trauma driven/dissociative mask.
HOWEVER (part 2), I was like what if actually the "revealed” Zelda is another mask. Because they might be strategically expressing these traits in order to either manipulate Link because she knows she'll get a better response if she comes about this way or because she's too afraid to reveal that this disorganized personality is who she really is; and she has a fawn response to present herself as a person he'd like and listen to more.
In this case, it follows my schizotypal argument. It's like they’re using the mask(s) to protect against true connection and get people to like them because of a severe social anxiety fear that their true self is unlovable. They wait until Link proves himself and then use the Zelda mask in order to hide their schizotypal traits while they step into the princess role because they believe the princess should be perfect. Following this argument, I’ve also made a case for Avoidant Personality Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder.
In AvPD, people avoid others because of anxious feelings of inadequacy. Zelda/Sheik fits this criteria: they avoid interpersonal contact likely due to a fear of being disbelieved like they were by their father in childhood; they express an unwillingness to create new relationships; they express huge restraint of self in their relationship with Link; this inhibits their relationships; they express shame in believing that the downfall of the kingdom was their fault; and they have a huge reluctance to take risks as shown by waiting so long to reveal themself.
In OCPD, people are obsessed with perfectionism and control. This would explain why they are so afraid of revealing their true personality and how they’re able to hide it so well. They meet the criteria: they always strive to have their plans go perfectly, to the point they don’t account for what could go wrong; excessive devotion to training to the point of neglecting leisure; inflexible black and white thinking in moral issues; and reluctance to delegate tasks to those who won’t perform it the way they want.
In conclusion, Zelda/Sheik’s StPD is expressed in their superstitions, metaphorical speech, and belief that everything is according to divine fate and prophecy that only they can understand. Because of this triggering the OCPD belief that they should be a perfect princess who doesn’t have these traits, and the AvPD fear that they are inadequate and will be abandoned or neglected, they decide to keep a huge distance from all other people. This leads to them spending most their time as Sheik avoiding Link, while still guiding him, until the time has come where they must reveal themself as the princess. At that point, they put up the mask of a perfect princess with no StPD traits in order to keep further distance from true emotional intimacy from Link, while still performing their royal and sagely duties. Following this, they send Link back in time because they feel guilty about all that happened to him and because they don’t want to have to deal with any emotional intimacy with Link in the future.
What do you guys think?