Helena's generally seen exactly in the light she wants to be seen as - a well behaved young woman who's smart and doesn't make trouble. She takes pains with her reputation, both because of social pressure and out of a sense of obligation. She deeply wants to avoid as much pity for her disability as she can, and works on this by maintaining her particular impressions. The more "normal" she is, the less she'll be singled out.

As far as it ringing close to who she is...it both is and isn't the case. Helena restrains a lot of her impulses due to a combination of her education and her own conscience. Allowing herself to go wild is a thing of the past, at present, so it's doubtful she fully knows her own self at this time.