The Loss Of Touch

Dominic Hone writes on the impact that a lack of physical touch has had for many during the COVID-19 pandemic this year, and the ongoing effects it may have on the human race.

Ava* had her quietest, cleanest, and loneliest birthday this year. There was no cake or song, and no kisses or hugs from siblings or friends.

The yoga instructor and studio owner - who is single and lives alone on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula - had endured months of harsh lockdowns, trying to maintain a routine and stay positive. She continued teaching yoga online and, in her downtime, she took long walks along the beach. But on that day - her “iso-birthday”, as she describes it - she found it particularly hard to escape the greyness of solitude.

“Everything was compounded. I’m not big into gifts, but I love having people around. I quite often will touch someone when I talk to them, usually on the shoulder or the wrist. And to have that suddenly taken away, to learn to not do that? It was difficult.”

Like many Victorians, Ava believes she has suffered from touch deprivation, which can occur when physical contact is absent from our lives for an extended period of time. Various forms of interpersonal touch are essential for humans to survive and flourish, says Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. 

“These everyday, incidental gestures that we usually take for granted are far more profound than we usually realize. Touch is truly fundamental to human communication, bonding, and health.”

Sarah*, who is single and lives alone in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, says she also struggled with loneliness during the isolation marathon. She identifies her low point as a period in July when she fell ill for an entire week.

“It was probably the worst week of my life - it was also when the Stage 4 lockdown got extended. During a conference call one morning, I just burst into tears.

“During Zoom calls, even catching up with friends, there was definitely something missing. Just not having anyone there, someone to give me a hug and comfort me, I really felt that.”

The science of touch is telling. Tiffany Field, a developmental psychologist at the University of Miami, says touch can provide an array of health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, decreasing stress, and boosting the immune system. Some scientists have even gone as far as calling the skin a "social organ."

“You’re stimulating pressure receptors, and vagal activity increases”, says Field. “Vagus is one of the 12 cranial nerves, and it has a lot of branches all over the body from the gastrointestinal system and the heart, to our vocal cords and so forth. There’s an increase in serotonin, which is the body’s natural antidepressant and anti-pain chemical.”

Touch can also release a powerful chemical that assists in bonding, trust and recognition, says clinical researcher Amanda Gordon. “There are various chemicals that are stimulated by physical touch, both in the giver and receiver – the feel-good chemical oxytocin is one of those chemicals,’ Gordon explains.

"We have receptors in our skin that go to the brain. When touch is given appropriately, the benefits affect everyone from newborns and new mums to the elderly and isolated.”

Tim Mossholder via Unsplash

Although contact with other humans is often what we crave, inter-species touch can also provide us with powerful benefits, such as better mood and healthier interpersonal interactions.

In one study in 2004, college students who were asked to pet a dog for just 18 minutes were found to have increased immune function. Dogs are also said to have an effect that triggers similar neural pathways to the parent-baby bond.

Ava knows this. During lockdown she was fortunate to have the company of Gracie, a 15 year-old spoodle. “She’s been pampered these last few months, getting lots and lots of affection, as I imagine all the cats and dogs in isolation have been.” 

Sarah agrees. She considers herself extremely lucky to have her cat, Frankie. “I honestly don’t think I would have survived without her,” she says. Recent prices for pets suggest they have played a pivotal role in the pandemic.

When it comes to humans, Ava thinks physical touch is most crucial when we are experiencing grief. During lockdown she followed rules regarding ‘no physical contact’ strictly, but points to one example where she broke the rules for a friend who desperately needed comfort.

“In the first lockdown, my friend lost her 21 year-old son. She moved down here around the same time as me - about three years ago - and her social network was not big.

“At the funeral, they were only allowed four family members, and there were ten funeral workers. So I decided to go over to visit her. I can’t believe the embrace she gave me - she obviously needed to be held.

“Sometimes words are insufficient. Sometimes we’re not eloquent enough to be able to convey what we really mean through words, particularly in an uncomfortable situation.”

With things now opening back up in Victoria, Ava believes it is important to reflect on the months of isolation and the purpose that lockdown served.

“I have to keep reminding myself that a little self-sacrifice is worth it if it helped save just one life. And whilst I didn’t miss a clammy or over-exuberant handshake, I do look forward to more hugs.”

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of interviewees.

WORDS: DOMINIC HONE
PHOTOGRAPHY DOMINIC HONE