The Therapeutic Power Of Caresses
There is a part of our body always in sight, those two lively companions with whom we work, wash and express ourselves… our hands. Do you know the therapeutic power of caresses?
By caressing someone with our hands we develop that magical language through which we can communicate with that person and take care of them.
In this article we will explore this great resource that is always accessible: the therapeutic power of caresses .
The therapeutic power of caresses
According to several studies reported by the American Journal of Psychiatry, caresses are therapeutic gestures full of meaning, expressions that exert a great power over us compared to many drugs.
A hug, a hand that caresses our face or back, favors the release of oxytocin, a hormone capable of relaxing the body which therefore represents a great defense against sadness and depression.
These positive stimuli we receive from our fellow men are of such importance that we should all take them into consideration: they influence our emotional maturity and also our evolution as people.
The importance of physical contact
There are numerous reports of homeless boys and girls who unfortunately have been forced to live in orphanages, where poverty, lack of social attention and marginalization have left their mark and influenced their growth.
These are children who stop crying only because they lose hope that someone will take care of them. Children who sometimes reach the age of adolescence with neurotic disorders, suffering from forms of maladjustment in relation to the environment in which they live or developing personality problems.
All this has an even greater weight if we compare it with people who have instead had a happy childhood, in which physical contact and caresses have played an important role.
Carrying babies or skin-to-skin contact are key to their emotional and social development. It is something we cannot forget. Gestures of affection, such as hugs or the simple touch of a hand, facilitate the release and expression of shared emotions and feelings.
In addition, they allow you to gain greater self-confidence and are a demonstration not only of affection, but also of attention and care.
Caresses to relieve stress
Human contact has an evident calming effect, it is a sweet comfort that makes us feel integrated and reaffirmed. If a person is deprived of physical contact he can go into a tunnel of sadness and isolation and it is very easy to fall into depression.
This can happen to all ages: children who feel abandoned, couples in which physical and emotional contact is lacking and who gradually lose the bond that binds them to the point of leaving, elderly people without significant stimuli that give them affection or comprehension…
There are many examples and the basis from which we start is always the same: we become the people we are thanks to contact, affection, compassion, sweetness, the simple gestures of giving and receiving.
Sometimes even animals make us feel important with their behaviors. We think of our pets, dogs or cats, which when we arrive home are always there waiting for us to be close to us.
Somehow they force us to caress them with the hand and show us their sincere affection without asking questions or asking for explanations. As if the most important thing in the world was simply that, feeling loved. Feel a caress.
