Touch - The Silent Spiral

It is commonly accepted that in touch adverse societies for example the US and UK women usually find more ways to express emotion and relate to their close friends and women give more hugs and receive more. Single women can stave off feelings of loneliness better with a full social circle than single men who have been brought up with different expectations on them to be more stoic and they don’t tend to touch each other unless it’s as a result of playing sport.

When men do get affection, they tend to rely on one source their romantic partner and if they are single things get more difficult for them. A Single man can experience next to no physical contact.

When touch is removed from these men, they can get cortisol spikes and this leads to sleep problems and increased irritability and aggression. It may lead to depression and a sense of isolation. Long term intimacy deprivation can lead to lower testosterone levels and lowered testosterone in men leads again to depression. This can degrade confidence and optimism.

If their touch is rejected in a relationship, they may take it as a fundamental rejection and turn inward on themselves.

All of the above leading to a silent spiral.

Studies into older long term married couples its more likely that the male appreciates the affection of kissing and hugging much more than women do and are therefore more reliant on it.

The USA and England is currently facing a silent crisis in male loneliness and suicide.

Men can feel chronically lonely even when surrounded by their friends because of the lack of meaningful touch.