Some of the neurochemicals include the hormone oxytocin, which plays an important role in social bonding, slows down heart rate, and reduces stress and anxiety levels. The release of endorphins in the brain's reward pathways supports the immediate feelings of pleasure and well-being derived from a hug or caress.
This is entirely dependent on the person. Some will find comfort in being held and rocked during their panic attacks, others may not want to be touched. It is very important that you always ask before simply reaching out or hugging someone experiencing a panic attack.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
A good hug slows down the heart rate and decreases the level of the stress hormone, cortisol, in our bodies. In turn, hugging makes us feel calm, safe, and relaxed. The less reactive we are to stress, the better we are at regulating our emotions.
When we squeeze each other, we provide deep pressure. Deep pressure is detected by receptors and sends a signal of safety to the autonomic nervous system. This turns down the anxiety we feel from activation of the sympathetic nerve, otherwise known as the fight or flight response.
The Sympathetic System
Deep touch pressure decreases this “fight or flight” sympathetic activity and decreases the level of cortisol (stress hormone) which is hugely impactful for people who experience stress, anxiety, or fear on a regular basis (anxiety, PTSD, dementia, ASD).
They want to relate to you, talk to you, and be friendly, but they have an incredibly hard time dealing with the thoughts they can't control. They take over their mind and their memories. If you push them too hard to get more attention or get them out of their bubble, they may withdraw further.
Research suggests that being touched can also lower your heart rate and blood pressure, lessen depression and anxiety, boost your immune system, and even relieve pain. Simply put, being touched boosts your mental and physical wellness.
Hugging someone you love for 20 seconds a day is the key to alleviating stress and beating burnout, according to a new book. A lingering embrace releases the bonding hormone oxytocin, which can lower your blood pressure, slow your heart rate and improve your mood.
Hugging helps lower our stress throughout the day.
Like so many other unseen benefits, this all goes back to good ol' hormones. Some researchers believe that hugging and other interpersonal touch can boost a hormone called oxytocin and also affect our endogenous opioid system.
1. They Relieve Stress and Pain. Hugging often creates a feeling of calmness and relaxation. That's because of oxytocin, which is sometimes called the "cuddle hormone." Oxytocin is released when people or pets snuggle up or bond socially.
While helping the person to talk is important, phrases such as “calm down,” “don't worry,” and “try to relax” could make the symptoms worse. Remain patient to help a person deal with a panic attack and do not belittle or ignore their experience.
Accept panic when it happens. If you are having a panic attack, label it as such and remind yourself that it is self-limiting. That is, it will pass shortly on its own if you don't add second fear, don't fight it or don't try to make it go away. Try to bring on a panic attack or try to make your symptoms worse.
When you don't get enough physical touch, you can become stressed, anxious, or depressed. As a response to stress, your body makes a hormone called cortisol. This can cause your heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and breathing rate to go up, with bad effects for your immune and digestive systems.
A 'seven second hug' takes you to level two – it's a sincere, genuine transaction of love and care. Level three is the 'run up hug' – a euphoric, outburst of affection.
Are you getting enough hugs? Virginia Satir, a world-renowned family therapist, is famous for saying “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.”
Psychologists in London claim they have cracked the code on the ideal embrace, saying hugs should last between five and 10 seconds. According to researchers at Goldsmiths university, longer hugs were found to provide an immediate pleasure boost compared to shorter ones (lasting just one second).
“The average length of a hug between two people is three seconds, but researchers have discovered something fantastic. When a hug lasts 20 seconds, there is a therapeutic effect on the body and mind. The reason is that a sincere hug produces a hormone called oxytocin, also known as the love hormone.
A body that becomes stress-response hyperstimulated can exhibit super sensitive senses and nervous system hyper reactivity. Both factors can cause nervous system and sensory hypersensitivity.
Sensory overload is when your five senses — sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste — take in more information than your brain can process. When your brain is overwhelmed by this input, it enters fight, flight, or freeze mode in response to what feels like a crisis, making you feel unsafe or even panicky.