Stress and Pain Disappear When Oxytocin is Flowing! Adam highlights the astonishing effects that holding hands has on anxiety and pain perception.
In class last weekend, I was discussing somatic approaches to hypnotherapy and I was discussing the impact of techniques that increase oxytocin in the body. Oxytocin flowing through the body can preempt the stress response. In this clip I am referring to a study by Coan, Schaefer & Davidson (2006) whereby 3 groups of women entered an FMRI scanner to see what happened in their brain when they got a slightly unpleasant shock in the ankle.
The brain scans revealed the remarkable difference between being supported by a stranger, a loved one, or alone. The 3rd group of women who are holding the hands of their husbands not only reported no anxiety, but their brains registered no pain, and they even reported having a pleasant experience because they were holding the hand of someone who loves them. Which was in contrast to the experiences of the other groups.
Hypnotherapists can teach their clients a range of practices to activate the oxytocin flow in the body to help preempt the stress response and other clinical applications.