A HUMAN TOUCH

Richard Jeneway on why the physical distancing everyone has had to endure of late is so damaging to the human psyche

We are all anticipating that Covid will be under control soon, with the introduction of a vaccine giving hope that life for many will return to a form of normal and allow muchneeded hugging and embracing, as touch deprivation – or ‘skin hunger ‘ – is a reality for many.

From the moment we are born, humans crave touch; skin to skin. Lack of touch as children impacts on us as we develop in terms of behaviour and attitude to others. Touch produces the feel-good oxytocin in our brains as well as a cocktail of other hormones.

From my own perspective, when it comes to self-distancing I miss that initial handshake, hug or kiss, although I am very aware that some people can feel uncomfortable with this regardless of quarantine. However, there is evidence from various studies that humans need to touch, meet in groups and socialise. Some of our LGBTQ+ community have historically maintained a barrier to avoid rejection and heartbreak, despite in many cases being sexually active. Intimacy and touch need not be sexual but can be gained within a platonic friendship.

Lockdown and social-distancing have impacted many who live alone, regardless of age or gender, the psychological ramifications being deep and lasting, with some of the least resilient combating the everyday tedium by finding solace in the use of alcohol and drugs. But there are some remedies we can consider to help overcome skin hunger. For those of us with pets, cuddling and stroking them can be mutually beneficial, although this is not for everyone.

As someone with sightloss, I live in a more tactile world than the sighted. This means to me that absence of touch, especially with friends and family, can be more exaggerated and more intense than perhaps others realise

Other remedies that may be of help include self-massage, which can be sexual, for example masturbation, stroking an arm, or even meditation and yoga.

Sound can also help, specifically the sensation of ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) which is the tingling feeling that you get through certain auditory experiences such as the brushing of hair near the ear, tapping on the table, a whisper and countless others, often subtle and quiet.

Going back a few years to when we were organising and delivering therapy events for the HIV community, I can recall clearly feedback from some having received hands-on massage by a qualified masseur/masseuse or reflexologist that it had a beneficial impact and profoundly for some was the first handson body contact for a long time.

On a personal note, as someone with sightloss, I live in a more tactile world than the sighted. This means to me that absence of touch, especially with friends and family, can be more exaggerated and more intense than perhaps others realise. I am lucky enough to live with a partner and three dogs, which provides me with much tactile need, however I do miss the pre-Covid freedom that we took for granted.

With this new year, hopefully when a sense of a new normality resumes, we can look forward to meeting up in social groups and gatherings for that long-overdue hug.

Culturally and contextually appropriate touch is essential for human development, having a profound impact upon how we function individually and collectively in society.

The science bit

The need for touch is biologically ‘hardwired’ into our nervous system before birth and is the first sensory system to develop in humans; touch is therefore our instinctive language of compassion, which is at the core of human bonding.

Physical touch also stimulates the cranial vagus nerve, which connects to the heart and digestive system. When stimulated, the vagus nerve decreases both heart rate and the ‘stress hormone’ cortisol, while also enabling the release of the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin and the ‘love hormone’ oxytocin. Touch, therefore, helps reduce stress, decrease the risk of disease, strengthen the immune system, and communicate compassion between individuals.

Conversely, touch deprivation can lead to developmental delay in children as physical stimulation facilitates growth and development. For that reason, touch is considered to be as important to physical development in children as nutrition.

Research has also found that high levels of physical touch received during childhood can lead to lower levels of aggressive behaviour in adulthood; when touch is limited or absent during the formative years, aggressive behaviour in adulthood increases. Consequently, the absence of touch and healthy attachment between child and primary carer is likely to contribute to interpersonal and emotional difficulties in adolescence and beyond.

In the words of Michelangelo (1475-1564): “To touch can be to give life.”

Andi Myles-Wright CPsychol AFBPsS

British Psychological Society Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow in Psychology