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Laffitte Law Group, LLC
The Amazing Healing Power of Touch
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By Leisa A. Bailey, Ph.D.
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ome of the first psychological research I learned as a psychology student was the pioneering work from the 1970’s on attachment conducted by psychologist Harry Harlow. Dr. Harlow investigated the power of physical contact with monkeys and demonstrated that in primates…and humans, the importance of affection and physical touch is critical in the development of healthy bonding and there is a “universal need for contact.” Others have advanced Dr. Harlow’s work to demonstrate not only the importance of physical contact to develop attachment, but that touch has important healing qualities.
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The benefits of physical contact with another is something inherently known to everyone; and science is confirming what we knew in our heart. Touch is good! Skin is the body’s largest organ, and when its sensory receptors are stimulated, the hormone oxytocin – the one that makes you feel good – is released. At the same time, cortisol, the stress hormone, is reduced.
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Tiffany Field, Ph.D, director of the Touch Research Institute of the University of Miami, School of Medicine has studied the benefits of touch for many years. Dr. Field has demonstrated that many forms of positive touch can help reduce pain, anxiety, depression and aggressive behavior, promote immune function and healing, lower heart rate and blood pressure, and improve air flow in asthmatics.
After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.
Affectionate touch is one of the most effective ways of communicating intimacy in a romantic relationship. Self-reports suggest that the amount of touching rises at the beginning of a relationship, peaks somewhere early in marriage, and then tapers off. Couples who are satisfied with each other tend to touch more. According to a recent article in the publication Psychology Today, “The true indicator of a healthy long-term relationship is not how often your partner touches you, but how often your partner touches you in response to your touch. The stronger the reciprocity, the more likely someone is to report emotional intimacy and satisfaction with the relationship. As with many things in relationships, satisfaction is as much about what we do for our partner as about what we’re getting.”
Hosea 6:2
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One study from the University of North Carolina found that women who hugged their spouse or partner frequently had lower blood pressure. Another study found that men (between the ages of 40 and 70), reported that regular cuddling was more important than sex; and that the more men hugged and kissed, the happier they considered their relationships. Tactile sensation can help premature babies gain weight; accelerate recovery from illness, and calm fear. Science keeps confirming the positive effects of touch on quality of life. Psychologist, Matthew Hertenstein, PhD, director of the Touch and Emotion Lab at DePauw University asserts “you can’t touch without being touched, and a lot of those same beneficial physiological consequences happen to me, the person doing the touching.” However, touch deprivation is a real thing and living in a largely touch-deprived Western society can have negative consequences. Dr. Hertenstein suggests “most of us, whatever our relationship status, need more human contact than we’re getting.” Compared with other cultures, Americans are not as affectionate. He states “we live in a touch-phobic society that’s made affection with anyone but loved ones taboo.” In a world with real concerns about sexual harassment and abuse in schools and workplaces, touch has become villainized. Even in preschools, with those precious youngest, touch has become largely forbidden. Additionally, so much of our routine interactions are virtual – Facebook, e-mails, and texts, making physical contact rarer. Opportunities to experience physical contact with others are simply less available.
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Science and common sense tells us that the more you connect with others – on even the smallest physical level – the happier you’ll be; and during times of intense grief or fear, and ecstatic moments of joy or love – touch is simply the most effective language. To improve your health… find someone to hug today….or better….find two people! Dr. Bailey is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. You can learn more about her by visiting: marietta-psychologist.com. Email her at LeisaB@marietta-psychologist.com. Your comments or questions are welcome.
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