Gail Sideman cannot remember the last time she hugged a loved one. He just knows that it was probably a few months ago. Since the coronavirus outbreak, the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, resident says she has stayed away from most people and turns to “air hugs” when she sees her 20-year-old niece from a distance. The publicist and stage manager stopped her personal and professional travels and snuggled up at her home in March, only leaving to hit the gym, the grocery store, or hang out outside.
Sideman is one of more than 34 million US residents living alone, according to the latest figures provided by the US Census in 2018. Following the implementation of shelter-in-place and social distancing orders Of cities across the country.
“I have to block that kind of thing out of my mind, otherwise I wouldn’t do anything,” Sideman said of his emotions. “But it hits you in strange moments: loneliness, isolation.”
David Spiegel, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and director of the school’s Center for Stress and Health, said that physical contact often has calming effects, as it reduces the stress hormone cortisol that can weaken the system. immunological. Touch also increases levels of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin, the hormones associated with happiness. Just as a child often needs to be held to calm him down, adults often need human contact to calm him down. At a time when adults can be more stressed than usual, given the global pandemic, people living alone are being left without that peace of mind.
The mental health impact of the pandemic is a topic of particular concern to Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, chief of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at the US Department of Health and Human Services. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that about 40% of the 5,470 adults surveyed said they were experiencing adverse mental effects related to the pandemic and physical distancing, including anxiety and depression. The report also said that roughly twice as many people reported suicidal thoughts within a month compared to the number of people who reported feeling that way for an entire year in 2018. Following the report, McCance-Katz issued a statement, calling the findings “concerning but not surprising”.
Carlyn Mumm has been quarantined alone in Dallas for the past six months. The 32-year-old digital strategist said that since she’s not a corny person, she doesn’t really miss hugs or handshakes. Still, she says she feels lost.
Mumm said she misses the eye contact she could make with someone across the table, something that is impossible to do in a virtual space. She said that because video chat only allows one person to speak and be heard at a time, it eliminates the possibility of animated interruptions and side conversations. Tech solutions like Zoom and Google Meet just don’t feel the same, he said.
There are simple solutions: Self-massages, yoga, or even running or walking can stimulate pressure sensors that can trigger a chain of events to change a person’s brain waves, blood pressure and neurotransmitters, Field said.
Aline Zoldbrod, a Boston psychologist and sex therapist, says there are also tapping techniques, such as a butterfly hug, that people can act on themselves to calm down. She also suggests using heavy blankets to create pressure on the body and thinking about previous hugs or calming touches to improve emotional state.
