Touch: Power and Meaning

Hugging, caressing, touching, hitting, kicking, kissing, brushing, bumping, contacting, rubbing; the list goes on forever. There are so many forms of touch, and some are good and some are bad. As human beings, we crave touch. How much we crave it varies from person to person, but it is written into our instincts and basic desires to need physical contact with others of our species.

Today's headlines are being dominated by stories about domestic abuse, driven by a specific video which captures a scene of aggression and violence between a famous athlete and his wife. There are also bits of information deemed newsworthy about rape, child abuse, assault, etc. At their core, these stories all have one thing in common: unhealthy touch and the emotions and thoughts that drive it.

With this bombardment of information about negative touch and its motivation, it's easy to forget that touch can heal as easily as it can harm. There is a myriad of data about the effects of holding, hugging, kissing, and even hand holding (in other words, good touch that denotes personal attachment and a positive relationship). There have also been studies conducted about professional touch such as massage when done by licensed and trusted professionals such as massage therapists and nurses. These data have shown that touch can be healing and rehabilitory. Positive changes happen in various physioligical processes in the body.

For instance, one exciting result of research has been the understanding of the effects of massage with depression symptoms. Depression, with various causes and severity of symptoms, can be debilitating for some people. Massage has been proven effective in decreasing the intensity of the symptoms of depression, and has been shown as a promising avenue of treatment with PTSD, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses.

It is important to remember the importance of touch in human development and life in general. Isolation and a life devoid of touch is not only boring, but can be truly unhealthy. Negative images can form in response to disturbing media coverage of events involving crime and violence, but it's imperative to recall that the picture painted by those stories do not give an honest overall perspective of the human condition or of touch. Give a hug today. Shake someone's hand. Give a reassuring pat on the back. Hold someone. Get a massage. These are positive  avenues to give or receive touch. It's important.