Why Touch is Critical to Your Well Being
Posted by Dr. Cason on Saturday, June 28th, 2008
Shilpan of Success Soul recently wrote a great post compiling some ways to supercharge your brain. This sparked some debate at the notion that hugging a stranger would help your brain. He was called a “Tree-Hugging Hippie” for this radical idea that touch can be helpful for our well being. Well Shilpan, you were right on. Doctors have known for years that touch and subsequent bonding is essential to well being and development.
James W. Prescott, PhD, an American developmental psychologist, proposed that the origins of violence in society were related to the lack of mother child bonding. He said “The easiest and quickest way to induce depression and alienation in an infant or child is not to touch it, hold it, or carry it on your body.” Harry Harlow also did extensive studies looking at the relationship between affection and development. You may know of his most famous study done with Rhesus monkeys, between 1963 and 1968. He placed the monkeys into two groups. The first group was offered a choice between two mothers, a terrycloth mother without food and a wire mother that provided a baby bottle containing milk. The second group also had a choice between two mothers, a terrycloth mother that provided food and a wire mother with no food. Interestingly the researchers found that the monkeys clung to the terry cloth mothers regardless of whether she had food or not. The only times the monkeys went to the wire mother was when she had food. The terrycloth mother provided something more important than food: contact comfort. Harlow concluded that affection and emotional connection is integral to mother child relationships. He later went on to do studies that showed the complete psychological deterioration of monkeys who were kept in social isolation.
Unfortunately we see this in real life when we observe babies who are kept at orphanages with a high caregiver to child ratio. The child never has the opportunity to bond with another person and therefore develops disorders of attachment. This disorder significantly impairs their ability to relate to other human beings for the rest of their lives!
The good news is that we can continue to bond and increase our well-being by touching and being touched! Dr. Moberg in her article The Antistress Effects in Response to Non-noxious Sensory Stimulation (posted at NIH’s website The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) describes the antistress properties in stimulation. Oxytocin is a hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland mainly in response to touch. Most people know of this hormone as a female hormone because it increases dramatically in labor and breastfeeding. But both men and women secrete oxytocin. It is known to lower blood pressure and other stress related responses and it has been called the calm and connection hormone.
We’d all do well to remember Shilpan’s helpful advice at hugging a stranger. But don’t stop there, hug your family, your kids, your animals or just get a massage. As you increase your oxytocin levels, you’ll increase your sense of peace and well being and that could only lead to good things.
Filed in Everything Medicine, How to be a Happier Parent, Self Improvement, Uncategorized |
Guinevere Meadowon 29 Jun 2008 at 6:16 am 1My very favorite thing to do is cuddle my son!
I’m not sure about hugging a stranger, though. That could lead do OTHER psychological problems!
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Cassaundraon 29 Jun 2008 at 1:01 pm 2Every thing you say is correct! We must be touched and babies must have the hands on touch to grow and develop properly.
I have been learning that massage can help and even cure a multitude of woes……..physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally! I have thoroughly enjoyed my massage training and I am continuing on to learn more……this semester is on how to assess and work on the specialty populations……touch is SO important in SO many ways!
White Hot Magikon 29 Jun 2008 at 2:11 pm 3I agree, it is so important. I will admit to having a harder time with strangers. I marvel and massage therapists, nurses and doctors who are so easy with it. A skill I need to learn for sure. With my kids and family maybe I need to back off. ; )
White Hot Magiks last blog post..Getting things out of my head.
Barbara Swaffordon 29 Jun 2008 at 6:15 pm 4Hi Dr. Cason,
Yes, I’ve heard this and it’s very true. Those poor babies who don’t bond with their mothers (or a parent figure) have so many problems when they get older.
I don’t know if I would want to go around hugging strangers, but I am a hugger with friends and family.
With that being said, ((((hugs))))) to you.
Barbara Swaffords last blog post..FEFF - How To Get More Hits On Old Posts
Dr. Casonon 29 Jun 2008 at 9:18 pm 5Guin- Yes I can see how that might get you in trouble!
Cassaundra- I have always enjoyed getting a massage and though I haven’t done it a lot, I’ve been meaning to get more. I have read that it is important to continue to get massages particularly as we get older as we usually get touched less and less.
White Hot Magik- I used to have a hard time with touching my patients but now I am very comfortable and secure with doing my exam. Practice makes perfect.
Barbara- And hugs to you too as well.
Shilpan | successsoul.comon 29 Jun 2008 at 10:19 pm 6Dr Cason,
I can’t express in words for your selflessness. It may be a stretch for most of us to hug a stranger but when I was writing the article, I had vivid memory of two young man who video taped a simple pleasure of hugging strangers. We hug friends and family members without a second thought. It takes courage for someone to hug a person unknown. My notion is not to hug someone who dislikes it but I see no issues with hugging someone who is at the cross road of despair and hopelessness. It’s a powerful waves of feelings we can send to someone who needs our uplifting spirit. Thanks for defending me. I’m in owe for your kindness.
Shilpan
Shilpan | successsoul.coms last blog post..14 Simple Ways to Super Charge Your Brain
Docon 30 Jun 2008 at 6:06 am 7Talking, touching, holding, singing, eye contact . . . are all good ways to achieve optimal oxytocin levels because they urge the body and the mind to support its own oxytocin release. Even still, building trusting relationships is a process and is not something that takes place within a few moments in time or is limited to happening within a certain time period. It is quite possible that you may not even know it is happening until you experience that first smile or other unique cue, and respond appropriately. For that reason I use this sub-lingual homeopathic oxytocin accelerator. I find that it really supports these behaviors and helps me to feel more. Here is a Url to read more about it. http://www.oxy-tocin.com/
Alexon 13 Aug 2008 at 1:24 am 8I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!
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