[user104658]

Originally Posted by Allegra

There has been much hype about Helen and her 'journey'. Even the so-called analysts on BBBOTS are not allowed to speak freely e.g. pointing to obvious personality disorders, when evidently present. Helen is a classic NPD (so is Pauline, Toya, Steven and Mark, to a lesser extent) any change in her behaviour is a mere environmental adjustment for the sole purpose of obtaining/regaining favour from her surroundings. She is, and always has been (since a very young age), void of any true sense of self. A person such as this is incapable of change. For Helen the diary room serves only as a self-validation tool. Anything that people hear her saying is mere game play. Throughout the show we have seen her continuously colliding with her fellow housemates - this enables her to trigger a response, enabling her to 'feel'. These confrontations provide her with endless opportunities to vent her anger and aggression. Praise=validation, Criticism= attack.

For professionals, Helen's behavioural patterns suggest a pathology which is deeply disturbing. Therapy will often not work, leaving people like this to roam the world, inflicting damage wherever they go. Deeply wounded from early childhood, they remain the most toxic people anyone will ever meet!

I hope that this 'warming' sensation is a mere projection - in which case, it is perfectly understandable. A real character assessment of Helen, however, will never arrive anywhere warm.

Post of the thread IMO.

There's only one word to describe Helen, and that is "broken". I honestly believe that people are just desperate to believe that she has changed, or can change, or that they've seen a different side to her... That this can be a redemption storyline.

In truth, like all of the world's Helens, she does have moments where she "sees herself" and doesn't like it, and fleetingly makes a conscious effort to be different, and people mistakenly believe that to be change. Unfortunately that sort of broken personality is completely driven by the subconscious and she will ALWAYS snap back to her original state as soon as her concentration breaks. She's a human memory foam mattress. She won't, and can't, ever change.

I also fear that it's inevitable that anything more we hear of Helen Wood beyond big brother will be all negative.