'Mask anxiety' is a bare-faced fact for some people

It’s a common-enough dream — you’re at work, at school or in some other public place, when suddenly you realize you aren’t wearing any clothes.

That doesn’t mean you’re a secret exhibitionist. Rather, dream analysts say, it hints at hidden insecurities and the fear of having them revealed to others.

With the pandemic has come a variation on that dream.

Harvard researcher Deirdre Barrett surveyed people about their pandemic dreams and found that, early on, people reported dreams of being angry or fearful of others not wearing masks. Later, more respondents reported dreams in which they felt ashamed when caught maskless themselves.

Barrett told The Harvard Gazette that one person even had a nightmare in which masks had fused with people’s faces so that they no longer had mouths.

Her research underscores how quickly masks became just another fact of daily life.

Then, on May 13, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that fully vaccinated people no longer had to wear masks indoors, except in hospitals, on public transit, in transit hubs or in other specified places. Officials hoped it would provide incentive for unvaccinated people to get their shots.

Pennsylvania’s mask mandate will be lifted no later than June 28. If the state reaches the benchmark of having 70% of adults fully vaccinated before then, the mask mandate will be lifted earlier.

Something feels off

So how are people feeling now that mask mandates are lifting? And will any of our health and safety behaviors have been permanently altered by having worn them for more than a year?

On Twitter, the newly unmasked reported “the feeling that — even though you’re following recommended guidelines — you’re somehow still breaking the rules, that you forgot something, or that something just feels off,” according to refinery29.com.

“It definitely felt weird at first,” said Tracy Alaia of Level Green about going out maskless.

Some visitors to her business, Feathers Artist Market & Gifts in Irwin, have continued to wear them even after she lifted her mask requirement. Others have expressed relief in being able to take them off.

“Everyone was so kind and respectful about it throughout. I don’t have any stories to tell,” she said.

Although Cristy Chenoweth of Hempfield has been fully vaccinated for months, she said she will wear a mask in public spaces until the state mandate lifts.

“Everyone has a right to their opinion; I’m just trying to protect other people and show respect and follow the rules,” she said following a recent visit to Target in Hempfield.

“There is definitely a sense of caution when it comes to taking off your mask. Younger people seem to be throwing caution to the wind and jumping right back into their old social life. However, there is a little more hesitancy for older people and those with young children — which isn’t a bad thing,” said Dr. Kathryn Smerling, a New York City-based family therapy professional, in an interview with the Tribune-Review.

“I think there is a little bit of fear, caution and elation when it comes to de-masking. People are thrilled about being able to see others, and it’s become like a totally new experience, but there’s still some hesitancy as well,” she said.

Two types of people

“I anticipate that most people will return to their (pre-pandemic) behaviors fairly quickly,” said Dr. Marc Itskowitz, an internal medicine physician with Allegheny Health Network. “If covid-19 personally touched them, their behaviors may change over the long run.

“There are two types of people, those who don’t believe and those who are very concerned, with opinions grounded in beliefs of personal liberty versus public health,” Itskowitz said.

“We’ve had many discussions with patients about the best approach for them and their comfort levels,” he said. “Those with compromised immune systems may want to keep wearing a mask.

“There’s a constant battle between humans and pathogens — just because we can’t see them doesn’t mean they’re not there. It’s clear that masking was an effective policy, with fewer cases of colds and flu last year,” he said.

People are free to adapt at their own pace to the new, new normal, he added. If that means wearing the mask for a while longer, so be it.

“As we continue to monitor the pandemic itself, individuals should monitor their own environments, as far as who’s vaccinated and how crowded a space is,” Itskowitz said.

“One of the things that masking has taught us is that people need to be respectful of others, whether it affects them or not,” Smerling said.

Both Smerling and Itskowitz said they think young children will adapt more quickly to going maskless than will older people, even though the pandemic represents a larger proportion of their lives.

“I actually think it’s going to be harder for adults than kids,” Smerling said. “Kids are more resilient and adaptable. They react more positively to change and can ride the wave easier than adults can.”

“Even if very young children can’t remember a time without masks, they’ll be led by their family behaviors,” Itskowitz said.

They’ll still be worn

“I don’t think we’ve seen the last of masks and they’ll be around for a long time,” Smerling said. “They’ve been effective in preventing flus, colds, etc., and (people in) other countries like China have been wearing them for years.

“I think schools will continue to emphasize cleanliness and the need to wash your hands and be a little bit more conscious of personal health, as well as businesses, too,” she said. “I think there has been a change for everyone during the pandemic, so I’m not so sure how quickly everyone will go back to how things were pre-pandemic.”