Tag: anatomy

lordofvos:

A Mental Health Meta

Before I start the meta proper, I’d like to say that the thoughts and opinions stated in this post are formulated mainly off of popular fanon stereotypes and interpretations of Seeker behavior, as well as my own headcanon and the headcanons of my friends. These fanon interpretations and headcanons are all based on canon sources, but evolved further into being their own thing. Though written in a more informative, essay-like format, they are not meant to be viewed as canon and should not be taken as absolute, irrefutable fact, just the thoughts of a man with ADHD, an interest in Seekers and Transformers, and too much time on his hands.

As well as this, despite having ADHD, I am not an expert on it and do not ask you to view me that way. If you have questions or concerns regarding ADHD please consult professional medical sources, not me.

If you have questions concerning the meta itself, however, please feel free to hit me up with them.

Seekers, as a specialized frame class, are Cybertron’s air strength; they hold more firepower than couriers, more speed and maneuverability than shuttles and spacefaring vessels, and hold air superiority over similar, ground-bound frames. Being specialized as they are, their processors are wired, on the whole, for different things than other frametypes: the intricacies of flying, maintaining spacial awareness and awareness of their opponent or opponents during dogfights, as well as the signature “seeking” they are named after. The result of this is that, on the ground and out of their “zone”, Seekers very commonly display behavioral patterns associated with humans living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Lack of Focus = Overstimulation

The intricacies of flying require very delicate and very precise spatial awareness algorithms and sensory equipment. Seekers have to know where they are, where their bodies and wings extend, how close they are to other Seekers, how high up they are, air pressure, projected flight traffic, outside and inside temperature, fuel levels and pressure, and many other things to fly safely and smoothly, all while tracking targets and relegating tasks. Those tasks may be something as simple as “make it to your destination on time”, or as complex as a choreographed or freestyle aerial routine.

The upside is that the sky is near void-like compared to the distractions of the ground. On the ground there are other mechs, there’s entertainment and music, there’s the hustle and bustle of large Cybertronian cities or the constant noise of an army’s base of operations that mechs with other functions might be able to tune into the background with little to no hassle. For Seekers, this level of constant sound, smell, and sight triggers can be a huge source of frustration. Their sensory equipment pings at every little thing, making it incredibly difficult for them to focus.

Because of this, among ground-frames Seekers have gained a reputation of absent-mindedness, forgetfulness, and a lack of genuine focus. Small things they might ignore, like the buzz of a roadway or the simple ticking of a clock, can keep Seekers distracted and “out of it” during day-to-day conversation. They might not recall things if their processor deemed them “irrelevant”, or they may forget to do everyday tasks other mechs have no issue keeping up with. Many require very rigid self-scheduling to maintain the sort of balanced life non-Seekers enjoy, and most relish routine and repetition.

Seeking vs. Hyperfocus and Hyperfixations

The flip side of overstimulation due to constant sensory input is understimulation, which can be just as stressful and detrimental to their mental health. Seekers can get very bored if not given enough stimulus or a task to focus on, and oddly enough, can often become understimulated because of the effects overstimulation has on them. Somewhat aleving for this is, though they may lack focus in some areas, they have an overabundance in others. Differentiating Seekers the most from other flight frames is the “seeking” behavior they’re named for. Seeking behavior is, in short, a specialized form of coding that helps Seekers pursue a target in the air without losing it to various obstacles or distractions. Seekers will pursue the target they’ve been assigned until the task associated with it is complete, nearly without fail, and because of this are near-unparalleled as fighters and as air recon.

Seeking behavior is another thing that carries over into ground life, though once they’ve left the air, they often call this sort of laser-guided attention “hyperfocus”. A Seeker in hyperfocus may as well be dead to the world aside from the thing they’ve chosen to focus on, whether it be something productive like finishing a stack of desk work, or something not so much, like binging the entirety of their ship’s media library in a single week. Breaking a Seeker out of this might result in them reacting in anger and/or lashing out; it’s hard for them to focus on a normal day, so making them lose what concentration they can manage to muster can be genuinely upsetting and frustrating, even if it’s for something important.

A downside to hyperfocus is that it normally only clicks on with activities and subjects that the Seeker finds interesting and engaging – deadlines or consequences don’t usually effect it, only interest. One such type of interest is dubbed a “hyperfixation”. These are, in the simplest terms possible, intense hobbies or interests that Seekers may latch on to as coping mechanisms or just because they find them fun. They can include literally anything a mech might find interest in, like fashion, or movies, or very commonly among Seekers, flight itself. Some Seekers might find very little engaging outside of their hyperfixations. Many describe this as Seekers either being obsessed or deeply apathetic in regards to any given thing, with very little in between.

Behavioral and Emotional Side-Effects

Because of the way their processors behave and everything described above, Seekers often show symptoms and side-effects that other mechs do not, or at least do not show in the same ways. Very common behavioral and emotional side-effects include:

1. Fidgeting or “Stimming” – This can be a result of both over- and understimulation. A Seeker might fidget in different ways, like bouncing their legs, twitching their wings, or moving their talons. This helps keep them grounded and in the moment while also keeping them occupied. They might also engage in vocal stimming, such as constant or persistent repetition of words or actions. There are many other types of stim activity on top of the ones listed here.
2. Aggression and irritability – As stated before, Seekers might react in anger if their concentration is broken, or if they feel much too overstimulated for their own good. On a bad day, Seekers might be far more irritable and sour than other mechs, and they’ve gained a bit of a reputation for snapping for seemingly “no reason”.
3. Excitability and hyperactivity – A common symptom of understimulation in Seekers is hyperactivity. A Seeker may act bouncy or over-energetic in cases like this, moving from task to task without stopping.
4. Impulsivity and lack of self-restraint – When it’s hard to clear the fuzz from your processor, sometimes you do things without fully thinking them through. This is especially true when Seekers feel overstimulated and overwhelmed.
5. “Flight calling” or becoming “sky mad” – Commonly attributed to Seekers’ alt modes, the “inherent need” for Seekers to fly can actually be chalked up to a simple need for relative silence. The sky is a good place for Seekers to rid themselves of constant sensory overload, and so a good way to clear their processors of all the static. Nearly every time Seekers forged as adults come online for the first time, they take flight instinctively and immediately to get away from the noise they wake up to. 
6. Claustrophobia – Claustrophobia in Seekers is very often caused by sensory overload, not so much “sky madness” like most (including some Seekers) may think; in enclosed spaces, especially enclosed spaces filled with other mechs, noises are louder, olfactory input is heightened, and mechs feel closer than they may actually be. Most Seekers can still handle enclosed spaces, however, provided they have a clear exit route and there aren’t too many others in the same space at the same time.