I mean, you're not entitled to hugs. Hugging is very good for everyone: friends, family, relationships, etc. We as a society should do a fuckton more hugging.

But even a friendly hug is still a somewhat intimate act. And all intimate acts need to be "earned" in the sense that you need to earn the trust necessary to bridge the gap between being a stranger and being familiar enough to get inside someone's personal space.

I highly recommend trying to cultivate a "hug culture" with your family and friends. Especially your family. If they're not that toxic, most will probably be happy with a quick hug. If you have a parent or a sibling you're close to, you can probably get away with a nice, long, soul-cleansing hug. The good kind that makes a lot of your stress and depression flow out of you so you're just left with a mild contentment.

Some gay ass old school chain email from like 15 years ago got my weird family into the habit of saying "Love you" at the end of phone calls or when someone says goodbye, etc. So it's perfectly possible to create some new, more affectionate family traditions. Especially since my dad's old and likely to die in the next decade or less, I make sure to give him a hug everytime I see him.

It's a rather pathetic move, but if you have a close female friend (who you're probably secretly in love with but whatever), you can ask her for a hug. Most women, despite their faults, have a tendency towards compassion. Especially for pathetic people lol. So if you're not creepy about it, you might be able to get yourself a hug-buddy. Just don't fall in love with every person who lets you touch them.

But trying to gently work your way into having more affectionate platonic relationships with both men and women is going to be very good for your mental health. Humans crave hugs.

And who knows... the person you're hugging might need a hug even more than you do. In that case, you're doing both of you a favor.