Cuddles when you're sick

RunawaycuddlesRunawaycuddles
in General

I'm curious what people's thoughts on cuddling during illness would be 🤔
I don't mean the super contagious kinds like the stomach flu or something like that, more in the cold/fever/minor (or possibly major like a broken bone or post-surgery) injury category.

Do cuddles tend to help you, or make things feel worse?

  1. Which kind are you?37 votes
    1. Cuddles make me feel better
      48.65%
    2. Touch me when I'm sick and you die 🤣😂
      51.35%

Comments

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod

    I have stage 4 cancer and cuddles definitely make me feel better.

    However, there have been times when I've had viral infections and being touched was just horrible.

  • rxpectingrxpecting

    I'd feel so bad if I got my cuddle partner sick! In general I tend to self-isolate, feed myself what my body is craving, and watch cute animation. I have trouble being the care-given

  • pmvinespmvines

    I'm one who doesn't want to be bothered when I don't feel well

  • BlueIrisBlueIris Mod

    @pmvines Same here.

  • Ironman294Ironman294

    I would rather test myself if just a temporary illness

  • MeltMyWayMeltMyWay

    Anything possibly contagious absolutely 💯 please cancel your cuddle experience. Healing from an injury or dealing with chronic pain or an ongoing health issue ... Cuddles can make things better. Prior to my bone tumor removal in May there were days that even cuddling was difficult and painful but something like that I would push through for my clients and usually they'd have no idea I was in so much pain. Anything cold or flu related I would apologetically cancel and try to reschedule for at least 3 days after I was feeling good again.

  • biancalovecraftbiancalovecraft

    I'm all for providing nurturing and comfort for someone feeling unwell physically, mentally, spiritually, but if someone presented with something contagious regardless how "minor" they would be dismissed with extreme prejudice.

  • TxTomTxTom

    ixnay.

  • alyhugsalyhugs

    Do not cuddle when you’re sick please.
    You never know if someone is immunocompromised, etc. wanting to cuddle someone without disclosing your sick is selfish.

  • Midnight01Midnight01

    Why would you cuddle someone knowing you are sick? This is ridiculous post.

  • BearBear

    Depending why I was laid up. I recently suffered a fractured finger. Cuddles made me feel better a few times.

    Totally different then if I was dealing with a virus or bug.

  • HuggycatbearHuggycatbear
    edited January 2

    Anything possibly transmissible no matter how minor is an Ixnay. What might be minor to one person could blow up another's immune system.

    As far as broken bones, I think cuddling would be hard and a risk to more pain than anything soothing.

    I even have trouble cuddling when depressed or going through grief anymore. I've quit vices and shortcuts so that I can deal with these emotions with natural processing. Cuddling with oxytocin is akin to dopamine. I might feel better during and then worse after. Just me.

    I like to cuddle when I'm happy, want come company, and am looking for connection and conversation.

  • cuddlefaerycuddlefaery
    edited January 3

    Edit to add: I know how much wanting snuggles while sick sucks. I still will never do it without repeated disclosure and consent. I don't subject my long-term partner to me being sick, let alone a relative stranger. Tl;dr: don't be that jerk who gets everyone else sick. Disclose and let your partner decide for themselves what risks they're comfortable taking.

    I'm one of those people that "just a cold/flu" can quickly become much more serious - typically pneumonia. While I've been lucky thus far and have not landed in a hospital, it's been very close and I don't wish to try my luck. As is, I already have to go on heavy antibiotics and steroids multiple times a year for respiratory infections.

    I'm FIRMLY in camp informed consent. I let people know if I'm having allergy sniffles, because you never know what deeper health issues a person or their loved ones are dealing with. What might be no big deal for some is life-threatening for others. It's already risky enough for those of us with compromised immune systems to interact with the public at large... Add in the extended close proximity of cuddling and that risk multiplies exponentially.

    Please, please - if you're feeling bad due to something that could even remotely be contagious, give your cuddle partner the respect and courtesy to make their own decisions on risk exposure. Don't take that choice away from them by deciding what is or is not a potential risk. They're far more likely to be grateful and consider cuddling you in the future. If someone shows up sick without informing me, not only am I ending the session, I'm likely never meeting them again because they are so careless of other people's wellbeing and clearly do not practice consent ethics the way I do.

  • DEV_in_MNDEV_in_MN

    Well one good thing about not going out much is not getting sick that often.
    Unfortunately, my work is public facing so not everyone is the cleanest with that

  • CSnMUS87CSnMUS87

    While unless I'm experiencing intense nausea or body aches I would think cuddling would make ME feel a little better, I still would not want to get anyone else sick, so I wouldn't do it. Maybe for an injury that isn't contagious yes, though I'd have to make sure it's not too much pain to be touched.

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel

    Come on people! You can navigate this. Put the barf tray on the nightstand and just be the little spoon when you lose your cookies. You have to make lemonade out of lemons. Your partner should do that too if you make them sick, that’s why gifts are good. I give Country Time lemonade packets as a little reminder I care.

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