Highlights
- Nakaranas ng anxiety attack ang educator na si Rosey Ferrer pagkatapos mahiwalay sa pamilya ng higit apat na buwan dahil sa pandemya.
- Ayon kay healing arts practitioner Lorelie Luna, pangangailangan ang touch at totoong may skin hunger.
- Nagbigay ng praktikal na payo si Lorelie para sa mga nakakaramdam ng skin hunger at nasa ilalim ng self-isolation.
Ang touch ay mahalaga sa buhay ng isa tao, gaya ng pagkain, tubig at hangin.
Mas ramdam ang kalahagahan nito ngayong pandemya, kung kailan nilimita o minsa'y ipinagbabawal ito.
Paghihiwalay dahil sa lockdown
Dating international student, naghanap si Rosey Ferrer ng oportunidad sa ibang bahagi ng bansa upang mas madali para sa kanyang maging permanent resident.
"I got a job offer in Darwin for a teaching position. My contract started March 6th; but since my family and I only had 300 AUD in our account due to my studies, I decided to fly to Darwin alone," aniya.
Iniwan ni Rosey and kanyang asawa't anak sa Melbourne at lumipad siya patungong Darwin.
"I wanted my family to fly with me; but when I left Melbourne, we thought it was just an ordinary day. There wasn't much hugging. I thought they'd be able to follow soon anyway. I underestimated COVID-19."
Dahil sa pandemya, nagkaroon ng lockdowns sa bansa at mahigit apat na buwang nagkahiwalay ang mag-anak.
Rosey was separated from her husband and daughter for more than four months. Source: Rosey Ferrer
"Because we were being asked to pay $2500 for mandatory hotel quarantine in the beginning, I couldn't bring them to Darwin right away. When that was waived and they were allowed to self-isolate in our own place, I got them tickets. They arrived June 15."
Kinailangang mag-quarantine ng 14 na araw ng asawa't anak niya sa bago nilang apartment. Dumadaan lamang si Rosey dito upang magbaba ng groceries.
"I work with children so I needed to be careful as well. I could only see my daughter from the terrace, but I couldn't hug her. I told her not to run to mum. It was so hard and unimaginable."
"I work with children so I needed to be careful as well." Source: Rosey Ferrer
Dahil sa hindi niya mahagkan ang kanyang asawa't anak at dahil na rin sa pandemya, nagkaroon ng anxiety attack si Rosey.
"I had difficulty breathing. I was rushed to the hospital and the doctor said I had an axiety attack," she says.
Mabuti na lang at pagkatapos noon, nagkasama ng muli ang mag-anak. Ayon kay Rosey, "All those anxieties in my heart for the past four months lifted off me when I was able to finally touch them. I look better and I feel happier now that we're together."
The first photo the family took after reuniting. Source: Rosey Ferrer
Skin hunger
Kagaya ni Rosey, nakakaranas din ng pisikal at emosyonal na kakulangan ang mga hindi maaaring makayakap o makahawak sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay dahil sa pandemya.
Ayon sa healing arts practitioner na si Lorelie Luna, "Underneath our skin are unique receptors that respond to inflammation. Even if you get touched gently, this action already sends sensations to our body."
"When we were born, we were placed on our mother's chest, we are made to connect skin to skin. As soon as we come into this world, we receive touch. From that moment, it becomes a need for us."
Healing arts practitioner Lorelie Luna Source: Lorelie Luna
Kahit sa ating pagtanda, nakakabawas ng tensyon at kalungkutan ang touch.
"When we feel overwhelmed or under pressure, the body releases a stress hormone called cortisol. One of the biggest ways to reduce this is touch. Touch calms down bodily functions that are agitated."
Habang nakakapagkalma ito, aminado si Lorelie na may kakulangan ng human touch ngayong pandemya.
"Recently, I saw a child around five years old with his parents and siblings. I didn't know them, but I saw the child run to to who seemed to be his grandparents. Someone yelled 'Stop! Don't!' It's been heavily mandated not to touch those who are at high-risk because of COVID-19. I saw the distress in the child's face and how his body slumped because he couldn't hug his grandparents."
Touch calms down the anxious. Source: Lorelie Luna
"Imagine not being able to hug your child for a day or so? It will have an impact on your mental health, especially if you are affectionate."
Saad niya na ang kakulangan ng touch ay nararamdaman din ng mga taong nakatira sa bahay mag-isa, kahit hindi sila sanay na maraming tao sa kanilang paligid.
"A client came to my table. She lives by herself and haven't had a massage in a long time. She was having back pain so I massaged her neck, chest and pectoral muscles. She started crying because for her [being touched] was an extension of love. She was missing it."
Lorelie shares that the lack of touch can also affect those who live by themselves - even if they are used to not having people around. Source: Lorelie Luna
Para sa mga nangungulila para sa human touch dahil sa self-isolation, payo ni Lorelie na subukan ang self-massage.
"A technique you can do is to stretch you right arm. Find your sternum or the middle of your rib cage and from there, drag your fingers across your chest following your clavicle. Put your hand all the way to your right rotator cuff (shoulder muscles, where the shoulder meets the torso) and massage. Keep doing this to open up your chest. It may help."
BASAHIN / PAKINGGAN DIN
