Hugs help to fight against the deleterious effects of stress, whether they are for a human or an animal.
Have you ever met them on a sidewalk or a square, these funny buggers equipped with a “free hug” sign, a smile on the corner of their lips and arms wide open, ready to hug you? These people deliver free hugs to strangers on the street. You may be one of those who strategically retreats or rushes across the street to avoid the embrace. But you are wrong.
Hugs are good for your health. The world day dedicated to this gesture of affection, which is observed in many animals, is a good opportunity to remember it. In fact, cuddle therapy, a very recent and very fashionable phenomenon, is not only based on the intuition that receiving tenderness from others has a positive impact on mental and physical health. It is a scientifically established fact.
The friendship of rats
A study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology shows that male friendships and the manifestations of these (generosity, affection, etc.) make it possible to fight against stress and counter its physiological effects.
The experiment was conducted on two male rodents exposed to moderate stress, isolated and locked up for several hours. Once reunited, after having suffered this agonizing situation, the two accomplices tended to socialize strongly, to share their meal and to show gestures of affection similar to hugs.
Their oxytocin levels were raised during the experiment. This chemical compound, commonly known as the “pleasure hormone”, is associated with many social behaviors such as empathy or social recognition. When the rats got together after being detained, its rate increased. A virtuous circle seemed to set in: social interactions lowered their stress level, which subsequently favored social interactions.
Trauma hugs
If in the literature, the effectiveness of the hug in the treatment of stress remains despite everything little documented, in the field, this gentle method seems to prove itself, in particular thanks to the animals that many humans like to cuddle. They also work with hyperactive children, patients and the elderly, improving their health with gentle touches, caresses and big hugs.
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