Human touch/affection

/ Mental Health / By

      Whether it is from a friend, family member, or partner, we all feel the need to receive some love and affection from those we love, but why exactly is that the case?

 

 

Oxytocin – The hormone behind our desire for physical affection

      To start, what is the science behind physical touch? and how are we affected by it? In a brief explanation, human touch releases a hormone called oxytocin, commonly known as love hormone. Oxytocin is produced in our hypothalamus (a small region in the base of our brain), and it is essential to our brain development and physical growth as it can reduce stress, relieve anxiety, and even lower blood pressure. Oxytocin also works with dopamine and serotonin, and the three are commonly referred to as our ”happy hormones”. When you are attracted to, or simply love and care for someone,  your brain starts to release dopamine, which increases your serotonin levels and produces oxytocin.

 

      In reality, along with oxytocin, many other hormones compose the science behind love and affection, such as testosterone and estrogen. However, those hormones are essential to our feelings of passion and sexual attraction, which even though it is essential, won’t be addressed in this post.

 

 

The true importance of touch

      Now that it is clear the impact that oxytocin has in our lives, and that our bodies naturally feel the need for some human affection, it is important to go a little more in-depth as to why we need to be touched, and what are the true benefits of affection. 

 

      Our skin contains receptors that bring forth emotional responses. When oxytocin is released by physical touch, it sets the foundation for our cognitive, social, and emotional well-being, decreasing fear and anxiety responses in the brain. Along with those benefits, touch strengthens our emotional bonds and trust. It reinforces the positive feeling we already have towards the people we love. It helps us become more attached to our families, friends, and significant others as it increases the affection we have for them. Additionally, affection reduces the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone) produced in our system. High levels of cortisol are linked to conditions notably depression, anxiety, and a variety of others.  When you touch someone you love or receive that same affection,  oxytocin is produced and released in your system at the same time your cortisol levels are restrained, thus resulting in a calmer state.

 

      That goes without mentioning the effects sleep has on other parts of our body like boosting our immune system and even sleep. When it comes to better quality of sleep, studies show that a side effect of oxytocin is the ability to control sleep patterns, which means that high levels of oxytocin are linked to falling asleep faster and staying asleep. Further studies even link it to other benefits including having fewer nightmares. Moreover, as mentioned before, cortisol is released as a response to stress, and it prioritizes mainly short-term survival instead of long-term health. This leads to a weaker immune system and a greater chance of sickness. Fortunately, when oxytocin comes into play, it reverses cortisol’s effects and improves your immune system and chances of fighting off infections and viruses.

 

      The desire for human affection is inside our human nature, and it starts at birth. The research was made on premature babies who received more affection in the hospital, and it shows that babies who were exposed to human affection had superior growth and developmental performances than those who didn’t. For that reason, significant changes were made in hospitals. In some units in different hospitals, even if the child is in the NICU, the mother is still asked to go a few times a day to hold the baby on her chest. Also, many hospitals are implementing the “kangaroo care” technique, where the infants, only wearing diapers, are held against the bare chest of the carrier. The effects of this procedure in premature babies who received at least 1 hour of kangaroo care for at least two weeks were very positive and it helped with better growth for that child.

 

 

What are other effects of touch deprivation – The fight or flight response

      When you limit the amount of physical contact a person gets or even eliminate it completely, that person can develop what is commonly called touch starvation or touch deprivation. 

 

      Touch deprivation increases stress, anxiety, and depression, and it might also provoke other negative mental effects. As a response to stress, our bodies release the hormone cortisol, which could potentially activate our body’s “flight-or-fight” response (a sequence of hormonal changes that helps someone fight off the threat or run away to safety). The flight-or-fight response can, sadly, also be activated in situations that are not necessarily life-threatening, such as work pressure, or family difficulties.  

 

      This body response can lead to other negative changes, such as an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, respiration, and muscle tension, and can weaken the digestive system and immune system, increasing the risk of other infections.

 

      Getting affection from those we love is more important than it seems, and it is a key aspect of human nature. Sometimes, due to our busy routines and even pandemic restrictions, we might not be getting as much physical touch as before. Still, it is always important to find time to spend with family or friends, even virtually, as it is essential to good health.

 

 

 

 

 

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