hugs

here's random parts of an article that i found, because I heard somewhere that hugs are good for people.

Hugs provide immeasurable support, agrees international trauma expert, author and psychiatrist Paul Valent. “They signify that the person is not alone, and that there is goodness and a future.”
Hugs – pure, human touch – are essential for health and life, and research proves it. In one study by a scientific centre devoted to exploring the effects of touch on health, the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine in the US, infants who received a 15-minute massage twice a week cried less, gained more weight and showed greater sociability than those who didn’t receive the massages.

Another study, at the University of Virginia School of Nursing, in 1999, found that pain and anxiety in the elderly was significantly reduced when they received therapeutic touch, while in 2005, University of North Carolina researchers reported that women had lower blood pressure after hugging their partners.

The motivation to be loved and appreciated is so pervasive that it has been called a fundamental human need, say researchers, with individuals who frequently give and receive affection having higher levels of self-esteem and confidence.

Father Chris Riley, founder of Youth Off The Streets, a charity that supports homeless and drug-addicted young adults, is a believer in the power of the hug, especially for young people. “Hugs and touch are vitally important for young people to grow into human beings who are not threatened by the world,” he says.

Melbourne-based marriage celebrant Jennifer Floyd, who sees a lot of hugs in her work, says: “A hug can say so much – thank you, I love you, I care, it’s okay, it’s great to see you, I’ll miss you, I’m here, we’re one – and all of it wordlessly. But the coolness or reticence of a hug which comes from one who’s not entirely comfortable with giving them (or receiving them) also says a lot.”

Children need hugs desperately, she says. But so do grown-ups and even pets. “We should hug humans and animals!” she says.

Whether a dog or cat actually benefits from a hug is hard to prove, but numerous international studies show that humans get something out of having and hugging a pet, including lower blood pressure and lessened anxiety.

the whole article is here it's a pretty cool article.