About
Touch has been a controversial topic for a long time. Some think that touch is essential to life, “We normally associate hunger with food, thirst with water, and exhaustion with sleep. We feel hungry not because we want food, but because we need food, just as we need water. Research suggests that affection is like hunger, thirst, and exhaustion, and just like them, the body craves it.” (Floyd) Research has also shown that “Physical touch is known to improve the function of your immune system as well as reduce diseases such as those associated with the heart and blood.” (Menges)
Without touch our bodies are deprived of natural chemicals; “Oxytocin is a hormone, released in the brain, that helps humans connect to others and promotes feel-good sensations that fosters a sense of well-being and happiness.” (Menges) Oxytocin is beneficial to the well-being of people and in addition is also essential during the birthing process. In addition, it has been proven that “Physical touch increases levels of dopamine and serotonin, two neurotransmitters that help regulate your mood as well as help your body relieve stress and anxiety.” (Menges)
Touch may be hard to navigate in terms of what is safe and non-safe, but it is essential to the well-being of humans, and has many benefits.