I haven't been touched in more than 2 months... - Mickey Z.

[Tace]

Photo credit: Mickey Z.

Mickey Z. -- World News Trust

May 16, 2020

On Sunday, March 8, as I was leaving a personal training client’s home, she gave me a hug. Four days later, I had a dental appointment that ended with a quick elbow bump between myself and my dentist.

Then, in a flash, everything changed -- especially in my hometown of New York City. I live alone in the era of social distancing. Hence, I haven’t been touched since.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m super grateful that (so far) I’ve remained healthy and (relatively) stable in financial terms. But that doesn’t change the fact that I -- like all of us -- require something we may have been taking for granted: human touch. With this basic need being denied during the pandemic, we may be creating a ticking global time bomb of mental health issues.

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200508/mental-health-emerging-crisis-of-covid-pandemic

Physical Touch 101

Whenever you’re touched by someone you trust, this welcome physical contact activates pressure receptors below the skin -- thus setting off an incredible, healing process. Your Pacinian corpuscles send a message to your vagus nerve which, in turn, slows down your nervous system by:

Lowering your blood pressure and heart rate
Decreasing the level of stress hormones like cortisol

more

https://worldnewstrust.com/i-haven-t-been-touched-in-more-than-2-months-mickey-z

[hlthe2b]

1. Thus the intense importance and value of our pets... Their touch conveys similar hormonal benefits

[FirstLight]

2. Been hugging my kids more...

I miss hugging my mom & dad.

Have a friend/dating interest and our last date was actually in Feb...we were texting about all the things we miss and he said "making out" I seriously almost cried...

[tavernier]

3. Nope, me either.

But when I go to bed at night, I curl up and hug myself and pretend it’s my parted hubby... or someone else. Long list of possibilities... I do love Bruno Mars, or Rami Malek. Or Chris Pine... yeah, Captain Kirk!

[Tace]

4. Captain Kirk! Never thought of that. : )