Skid and Pump OCD Analysis Part 2: Daydream Boogaloo
So my original Skid and Pump OCD Analysis post was actually meant to be a bit longer than it was, but my WiFi kept going in and out, so I decided to split it into two. This post is moreso about specifically things that are more in what I'd call the "OCD grey area", where it's something that isn't necessarily always a sign of OCD or is something that is moreso just somewhat common to have alongside OCD.
Basically, maybe OCD, maybe not, but definitely related in a tangential manner close enough I felt like I'd be leaving good or interesting talking points out if I didn't mention them in the post... Before my WiFi decided for me that I shouldn't. So, I separated this fact into a separate post, because I feel these are less strictly OCD facts and more like fun facts about how it can interact with other things, alongside facts about those other things. (Mainly Maladaptive Daydreaming and Ear Worms, lol).
OMG I'm never good at starting these rambles-
EARWORMS! Earworms are not a telltale sign of OCD, but research has shown that the way they impact you and for how long can be influenced by OCD. Anybody can get an earworm, and it's actually pretty normal to. However, for some people with OCD, they can last much longer than the average person, and be much more stressful. Whilst the average earworm lasts usually only a few minutes to a few hours, some report them lasting for weeks, or even years. Not everybody who has had them last that long has OCD, but it's just a bit more likely.
Alongside how long they can last, some people with OCD report always having a song in their head, even if the song changes to a different one. Others even report obsessive anxiety over the thought that an earworm might be stuck in their head forever, and sometimes feeling compelled to listen to the same until it's out of their head. Which listening to the song is, apparently, meant to help get rid of earworms but like... That's never helped me a day in my life and usually makes it worse for me.
All that to say that I love the idea that Skid always has a song stuck in his head, as well as Pump. Mostly because I have that. I literally always have one in my head, and sometimes I'll even go to bed with one in my head, only to wake up the next day with a completely different song already playing in my head. I'm lucky that I don't get anxious about it, though, and so are Skid and Pump became I don't headcanon that they get anxious over it either. Pump only gets anxious when he can't remember the name of the song, and Skid sometimes gets annoyed if he's trying to remember the lyrics of a different song than the one in his head. They mostly just think of the constant songs as like... background music for their lives.
Another thing that is somewhat sort of related to OCD is Maladaptive Daydreaming (MADD/MaDD). It's a relatively (in terms of medical/psychology) newly acknowledged thing, so there's still a lot of research going into Maladaptive Daydreaming. It isn't even recognized in the DSM, yet, but there are some researchers trying to get it put in there. However, the research that has been done have shown that it is more common in people with ADHD, ASD, and/or OCD.
The best way I can describe what Maladaptive Daydreaming is, is that it is daydreaming to an unhealthy degree. If I remember correctly, most people daydream about 30% of a day (of course, things like age and such can impact how long is expected). However, people with MADD moreso daydream for much longer than that, sometimes most of their day. It's also common for these daydreams to be extremely vivid, complex, intense, compared to most. That, and some find that pacing, stimming, listening to music, and other things can make the daydream much more vivid.
Now, depending on how far ahead you think, this might sound a bit fun! However, this can be extremely difficult to cope with, as it can cause people to procrastinate and forget basic needs like meals, sleep, and more. It can even make it difficult to pay attention to conversations for some, and others can get upset, anxious, or angry if their daydreaming is interrupted by something or someone (I know I can get a bit peeved when that happens). That, and you can become extremely attached to characters and worlds you create. I feel like this is an inadequate explanation, but I'm honestly unsure how else I'd describe it without writing an essay.
That's all to say that I totally headcanon both Skid and Pump as maladaptive daydreamers, or that they'll develop it as they get older. I've been sort of guessing they're around 8 to 9, and it is healthy for children in that age range to engage in fantasy and daydreaming a lot more than an adult. I can see them growing up, though, and still daydreaming the same amount as they do now. It wouldn't even be that surprising regardless of if they have OCD or not, since some studies I've seen have shown that MaDD is a bit more common in people who have had some form of neglect or trauma during childhood (ahem PUMP'S PARENTS ahem WHATEVER IS HAPPENING WITH SKIDDAD ahem WHATEVER WORLD-ENDING EVENT IS IN EPISODE TEN ahem). These two do not seem to be coming out unscathed, and I say they unhealthily cope through daydreaming.
If it isn't obvious, I think they'd mostly daydream about spooky things. Basically all the cool adventures with killer dolls, demons, killers, and more that we see in the show. When I was a kid, I remember being very controlling when playing pretend because I was really attached to my story and characters, to the point I mostly just played pretend alone because I'd get too frustrated playing with others. Idk if that specifically might've been a reaction between my OCD and MADD, because I know that a large part of OCD is feeling like you are in control, but I'd imagine that it didn't help regardless. That was until I found someone with really similar interests to me and was willing to play along. I like to think that's sort of why Skid and Pump seem to mostly, if not only hang out with one another (outside of Susie, since she's Pump's sister). They both just got frustrated whenever other children would try to change their pretend stories while playing, but since Skid and Pump sort of understood the other's protectiveness over certain aspects of their pretending, they were able to mesh well and become quick besties!
I also like this headcanon because, besides the fact they are hanging out together and not alone, the way they act reminds me of how I did as a kid while pretending. I'd happily zoom about to places in my small little cul-de-sac to find places that'd help me immerse myself, and when going shopping I'd imagine all the things on the shelves as different things that'd fit whatever story was in my head. Basically regular kid stuff, and what actually made it more maladaptive was that that behavior went on a lot longer than it probably "should" have. Now, though, that behavior has been sort of replaced by frantically pacing in my room like a caged animal.
MADD can also cause you to have little expressions in reaction to your daydreams, or mouthing words in your daydreams, or in my experience to just get a completely blank expression as you space out. While Skid and Pump are both very expressive, I like imagining that as they get older and start playing pretend a bit less and specifically daydreaming more, Skid gets this completely blank, almost sort of grouchy face as he daydreams and spaces out from everything around him. In complete contrast, Pump is very expressive in response to whatever is in his brain, but tries hiding it around everybody except Skid. That's because they both sort of understand what the other is doing, so if Pump suddenly makes a really sad or angry expression while near Skid, Skid knows not to take it personally.
As the (current) final part, I personally believe that they don't seem so openly stressed about all of this is because they're so young. That, and they seem especially oblivious and easy to distract. They sort of assume all these behaviors are normal, and these little obsessions and compulsions are something most, if not all people have. The fact that they both have it and they mostly are around each other doesn't help, since they now mostly have somebody who also has OCD and MADD to go off of for their view on the world. They also, due to being children, have less stressors in their lives and somebody to take care of them, even if for Pump it is his grandfather and not a parent. I imagine that as they get older, and as more stressors start coming in and they need to take care of themselves more, they'd start getting more stressed with their OCD and MADD symptoms.
Anyways, second ramble has been completed. If I think of anything more (or if any new episodes give me new ideas) I shall be cursed to make a third part to this... then fourth... then fifth...
