Touch-Starvation flag (+ info).
So, we decided to coin a flag for people who have struggled with touch-starvation.
(If you don't know what touch-starvation is, read ahead.)
The shades of blue represent the negative side-effects touch starvation can cause, both physically and mentally.
The shades of brown/tan represent how all races can suffer from this experience, and also represent the body's need for skin-to-skin contact.
White represents people with albinism (to go along with the rest of the racial coloration), finding community/peace, and hope.
The pink heart represents those that are touch-seeking. The grey heart represents those that are touch-avoidant. The hearts overlapping represent how people can be fluid between touch-seeking and touch-avoidance.
What is touch starvation?
Touch-starvation, also known as Touch-Deprivation or Skin Hunger, is a physical/psychological response that a person's body has when they have received very little physical touch in recent times. For example, a person that has not been touched in a month may begin to feel touch-starved. Touch-starvation can happen to anyone, even those that are touch-repulsed.
Emotional symptoms of touch-starvation include loneliness, anxiety, depression, self-consciousness/insecurity, and desperation.
Physical symptoms of touch-starvation include difficulty sleeping, fatigue/exhaustion, skin irritation, sensitivity to touch, muscle tension, breathing difficulties, and high blood pressure. Long-term touch starvation can weaken the immune system, leaving the person at a higher risk of getting sick.
People that are touch-starved may indulge in activities such as taking long warm baths/showers, cuddling with blankets/pillows/plushes, and holding pets in an attempt to satisfy their starvation.
If someone has been touch-starved for a long time, they may develop these symptoms permanently or have them for years ahead, even if they begin to receive the proper amount of affection.
Touch-starvation is traumatic, and can cause someone to develop mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and trauma disorders. There are cases of people developing PTSD from touch-starvation alone.
Touch-starved people can become touch-seeking (meaning they desperately attempt to find someone/something to touch them), touch-avoidant (meaning they find touch to be too overwhelming due to being starved of it, and avoid it as a result), or be fluid between both.
Touch-starvation is prevalent in AMAB people within Western societies (and societies that have been influenced by Western culture or coincidentally have similar toxic values.) This is due to three main reasons, of which overlap:
-Queerphobia. Homophobia and monosexism lead to men being shamed for being affectionate with other men.
-Amatonormativity (and often heteronormativity, if it is a feminine-gender they are interacting with.) Men are assumed to be romantically or sexually interested in someone if they show physical affection, even if it is purely platonic or familial. This is due to men being stereotyped and treated as purely-sexual beings, who only desires sexual touch, and nothing else.
-Toxic-Masculinity/Misogyny. Men are told that they are weak if they express softer emotions or suffering. They are shamed if they do not "tough out" the things that are affecting their health.
In conclusion; we as a society need to normalize touch (with consent!) for people of all genders, sexes, and orientations.
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Being alive causes so much pain. This body leaves me exhausted, hurting, aching, moaning. But these arms get to hold him. My face gets to fit perfectly in his neck, and my muscles get to relax when I lay with him.
It's worth it. sometimes I feel broken, bc this body simply is. This mind is split. but when he sees my body as a thing worthy of holding, and kissing, and caressing, and groping, when he sees my body as a temple for him to bless, and my humor enough to crack his chest open, how could I give up on it?
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I wanna bite Sanji so bad gjfjjfjdjjsjs anywhere on the body just a big bite. His neck. His titty. His butt. Just cuddle him and then lean over for a little chomp i love him I love him I love him I want him to nosebleed over me because I would blush and get all flustered that he likes me gjfjjdjejdj sanji sanji sanji my darling 😭💕
I mean, listen--Sanji wouldn't look so biteable if he weren't meant to be bitten, right? Little nibbles on his neck, big ol' bites on his chest, alternating chomps and soft kisses down his tummy. Poor man would lose so much blood 😭
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Having sex with a monster that can control a swarm of insects. Maybe if you're afraid of a particular bug the monster will summon them to scare you so it can feed off your fear. Or they'll keep the bugs at a distance but have them linger around, a silent threat to make sure you behave.
Or if you're not afraid of bugs, they'll have a swarm explore your body. Sending light, slightly ticklish sensations dancing across your skin. Teasing your inner thighs, dozens of light, feather like to touches caressing your skin. Just the conflicting thoughts of getting aroused by insects coating your skin, knowing that it's your lover who is controlling them.
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