I agree. Human touch does help healing. There are other ways to "touch" someone, if you are uncomfortable with the physical aspects. Touching someone emotionally can be just as meaningful a connection, if not more.

To be honest I don't remember the last time I felt a human touch but cuddleing with Annie (my dog) works really well for me.

jorge....do you have any pets? do you like dogs or cats?
if you could adopt an estranged pet from a shelter, (and i know that makes renting and traveling (etc) more difficult.) it might be a way to
re-establish that contact?
or maybe you just aren't a touchy-feely type. and that's ok too.
i don't like to be touched by strangers, but i am very affectionate with people i'm close to.

some people do not like other in their person space....i do agree with this though...i don't mind handshakes or hugs, the cuddling with my dogs is nice and brings some comfort...thanks for the article jorm

oh goodness......i'll take all the hugs i can get! even from complete strangers.

i definitely agree that a pet is a great idea :)

I hug my dg all time, I live alone though and mainly housebound so t get much physical contact.

I had helpers when first had go in wheelchair I hated having to be helped or touched. I can cope with brief hugs at Xmas, birthday..only time I see family really but I'm not really a touchy-feely person.

I can understand and cope with what I call 'necessary contact' ie my friend ad I are both also deaf so may tap each other to get attention before speaking, holding her childrens hands to cross the road etc but I am not comfortable with 'intimate physical contact' and or like been kissed, skin to skin contact in bed etc.

I have had befriends in past but since Ihadto o in chair and had that choice taken away about touched me and when I no longer enjoy it.

I know I love hugs for that very reason. Don't get me wrong, I go threw the don't touch me phase in my depression but when I start to feel better I crave hugs. Craving sunshine and human touch is when I am on my way out of the dark.

Depression carries with it muscular body aches, so there's a real physical reason you don't want to be touched too...it hurts. But I know what you mean about the "don't touch" thing. (sigh) If you could just push through that, I think you'd find some enjoyment in it.

Me...I'm going to get another massage. In a professional therapeutic (no, not erotic) massage, there's always that initial trepidation, a bit of fear of trusting the other person, but my mind puts the concept at ease with "they're a professional, they're not going to do anything that hurts me" and they don't. Then I REALLY start to enjoy being touched, and REALLY deeply relax, allow myself to sink into the sensations, which are soft, deep and wonderful.

how about someone brushing your hair or lightly touching your eyebrows, love that.

tnx for the post. i'm gonna think more about this.

as i go to bed alone, ha!

I am a hugging kind of guy....I do it to express feeling....not in a sexual way.

Touch really IS very therapeutic. (if you enjoy it.)

I've seen it do wonders for people.

I do the "don't touch me" thing to. Hate it, because I'll sit here and crave human touch like I'm craving chocolate or something. Ugh.

When I was in school for nail tech we had a whole separate book dedicated to the healing power of touch. It really is amazing what happens in the brain and body, just from simple contact.

I think this is part of the reason I like (and miss) getting my hair and nails done so much...can't avoid the contact.

Oh and my stylist gives the most amazing scalp massages during a shampoo OMG...heaven :)

It's definitely hard for me to hug someone. But if I do, I have to feel completely safe and trust that person. But, I do crave to give affection. It's a way of expressing your care for someone. A hand on the shoulder or on the head or brushing someone's hair, is most natural for me. If received well, I'd say it does help depression. Good Post.

I have depression and I love to be touched, it is so healing. The only exception is if the person has bad hygene or hugs too hard. If one hugs too hard it hurts me physically. That is me. I realize everyone is different.

In one of my sociology classes we had to watch a film about the importance of human contact for social and emotional development. They showed a clip from these orphanges in some really poor parts of Russia. The place was obviously underfunded and understaffed and sometimes these babies and toddlers would go days without being touched or held any longer than it took to change their diapers. The kids actually became impaired and started to show signs associated with mental retardation.

It was really sad. Everytime I hold my daughter I think of those kids in the video.