Depressed seasons cuddling against the autumn blues

Depressed seasons cuddling against the autumn blues / Health News
Help touch against depressive moods?
Many people develop depressive moods in the gray season, known as autumn blues. "Warmth, exercise, and regular body contact" can help here, Dr. Martin Grunwald, haptic researcher at the Medical Faculty of the University of Leipzig, in a recent press release of the University Hospital.


The dark, wet and cold weather is not only uncomfortable, but also beats fast on the mind, reports the Leipzig University Hospital. On the other hand, as a simple prescription warmth, exercise and regular physical contact are recommended. Grunwald. Even a ten-minute massage a day could lighten the mood significantly. The touch and body interaction would create complex neurobiological processes.

Even a short massage can help against depressive moods in the cold season. (Picture: Picture-Factory / fotolia.com)

Sense of touch is underestimated in its importance
According to the expert, the importance of the sense of touch is "mercilessly underestimated to this day." Many people believe that the sense of touch "only helps to find the alarm clock in the dark and otherwise only plays an important role in sexual acts," said the director of the Haptic research laboratories of the Faculty of Medicine. This is "an extreme shortening of the basic life functions of this sensory system."

Without sense of touch we can not survive
No living being would be viable without the sense of touch, whereas organisms that can not see, hear or taste anything survive, the haptic researcher explains. For example, the number of receptors in the sense system does not exceed that of the other sensory systems without reason. "Estimates are based on a number in the trillions range," reports the University Hospital Leipzig. In particular, by touching or "slight deformations of the skin" these receptors would be stimulated, so Grunwald on.

Biochemical and bioelectric processes triggered
Studies in EEG studies have shown that short-term massage in both infants and adults has a positive impact on neurophysiological status. "Touch stimuli trigger biochemical and bioelectric processes in the brain," explains Dr. Grunwald. As a result, certain hormones and neurotransmitters are released and formed, which influence the brain activity and positively change the physical condition.

Ten minutes of massage are enough
The effects of touch cause the heart rate to decrease, the breathing to flatten and positive emotions to emerge, reports the expert. Just a 10-minute massage is enough to trigger these complex neurobiological processes. Professional massage is not essential for the touch effects. Here is the "biological law, that by appropriate interpersonal physical contact - without sexual intentions - positive emotions in our brains are triggered."

Lack of touch can affect the mind
According to the expert, the positive effect of the touch can even be triggered by short hugs. And those who have to do without this "special food" for a long time can be seriously affected in their mental and physical well-being. In addition, in the dark season, the negative effects of the lack of light, which also beats many people on the mind.

Basic need for body interactions
"When it's cloudy, cold and wet outside, we need to be more active in our wellbeing," Dr. Grunwald. It could also help people in a partnership to spend more time together. "Humans have a basic need for such body interactions from toddlers to the aged," explains the expert. Due to the close proximity of the body, not only skin deformations would be generated, but also heat will be transmitted and it will do us good.

Different functions of the sense of touch
The human sense of touch has, according to Dr. Grunwald an exteroceptive, a proprioceptive, and an interoceptive function. The perception of surface structures, information about temperature, weight, elasticity or roughness describes the so-called exteroceptive, ie outward-looking function. The perception of one's own body or the position of the body in space (legs down, head up) form the proprioceptive component and the perception of information about certain organ functions such as the heartbeat or stomach grubbing the interoceptive.

Function of self-touching unclear
Positive effects of touch can be dr. According to Grunwald, however, not reach by self-touching. In any case, every human being gets in the face about 400 to 800 times a day. The purpose of this self-touching attempt Currently decrypting Grunwald and colleagues in further research The brain may try to establish a balance of power. Because "all biological systems strive for a homeostasis, ie a balance of power, a balance," because the brain works best when it is at a moderate level of activity, so Grunwald.

The system strives for balance
In everyday life, we are confronted with innumerable information that the brain processes or suppresses. But some of them are capable of unbalancing the system, such as very strong positive or negative emotions. Grunwald. Here, a facial-related self-touch is triggered to restore the balance, the expert suspects. The touch stimulus is used by the brain so that the balance state is restored.

"At the moment, however, we are just at the beginning of understanding this complex biological process of self-contact," says the haptic researcher. This everyday phenomenon is particularly exciting because the fetus in the womb is already carrying out self-touching of the face. In addition, it is important to find out what difference it makes for brain activity, whether the human being touches with his left or right hand. (Fp)