Vivienne Lewis, a clinical psychologist at the University of Canberra, humans are “hardwired to seek out human touch.” “When we hug someone, that physical contact releases a hormone in the body called oxytocin,” she told the ABC. “Oxytocin makes us feel warm and nice. It makes us feel relaxed, feel positive.
Touch starvation refers to a sense of longing for physical contact. Humans are social creatures, and touch plays an important role in development and communication. For some people, the deprivation of human touch may result in negative mental health effects.
The Need For Intimacy
The first and the most obvious reason why you may crave affection is because you don't have enough of it in your life. Some people tend to experience this due to a lack of close relationships, the absence of a romantic partner, or simply not having a strong support network of friends and family.
Touch starvation is a condition that happens when you don't get as much physical touch as you're used to -- or any at all. You crave contact but can't interact with others for some reason. It's also known as touch deprivation or skin hunger.
According to experts, touch starvation may cause feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. These effects can trigger further issues. Your body releases cortisol to overcome stress, suppressing the digestive and immune system and increasing your: heart rate.
People who don't get their dose of affectionate touch seem less happy, more lonely, and have a higher likelihood of suffering from depression, mood and anxiety disorders, as well as secondary immune disorder.
Yes, it is possible to become addicted to spending time with someone. This is a pretty common thing, and many people experience this situation when they fall in love. It's fine to feel that sense of addiction to your lover's touch or think that it's too long to be with them throughout the day.
Your cheeks flush, palms sweat, and heart races
“This can lead to having a physical sensation of craving and the desire to focus your attention on that specific person,” she says.
Men who are attracted to you might even engage in more touch. If a man actively tries to touch you during your interaction, it may mean he wants to get closer to you or close the distance between you two.
Being around the one you love and getting to kiss or cuddle them releases oxytocin. Oxytocin, which has been called the "love hormone," is the thing that makes you feel all lovely inside about your partner and can make you want to invade their personal space even more.
It's more committed than a kiss. It's more intimate than sitting on someone's knee. It's not just affectionate, it's the sign of a bond.
Learning to express your love through intimate touch is possible, even if you're not having sex with your partner. Despite what you may have learned about romantic love, sex isn't everything in a relationship. It's important, yes, but it isn't the only physical expression of love.
People who experience the physical sensations of others have "mirror-touch synesthesia." It means they can feel a sensation on the same part of the body where they see someone else being hit, stroked, kissed, or injected.
tactile. adjective. a tactile person likes to touch other people a lot, for example when talking to them.
Hugging and other forms of nonsexual touching cause your brain to release oxytocin, known as the "bonding hormone." This stimulates the release of other feel-good hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin, while reducing stress hormones, such as cortisol and norepinephrine.
Craving physical touch is called skin hunger, or touch deprivation. According to Healthline, it “occurs when a person experiences little to no touch from other living things.” For many people, this is their reality right now.
The Fundamentals of Physical Touch
Expressions of physical touch don't necessarily have to lead to intimacy, though they certainly can when both partners are on the same page. Regardless, when someone communicates love in terms of physical touch, that doesn't mean they're always in the mood.
Men Find Sex Significant
For many, sex is a very important act between two committed people. And just like most women, men find sexual intimacy to be most satisfying within a committed relationship.
A man who's falling in love tends to show his desire for greater closeness and intimacy in many different ways. He will likely prioritize spending time with you and put in real effort to make you happy. He may show you his softer side, while also serving as a source of strength and comfort when you need it most.
As author and family therapist Virginia Satir once said, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth”.