More on the subject of too much....
I actually just read an article (Xandria - if you try to find it online, it's got all you'll ever need for normal to extraodinary relations) that basically explained that touch is in fact a normal and necessary thing. Unfortunately, I just deleted the darn thing or I'd post the info. Hmmm...
I'll have to post it later.
Anyway.. there was this brilliant Doctor (so called pediatrician) around the turn of the last century (late 18, ealy 1900's) who decided that we as civilized humans needed to stop our barbaric ways of coddling our infants and children. As a result of so many well-to-do mothers trying to be the latest-up-to-date in fashion, they would simply feed their young on a time schedule and ignore them the rest of the time if they cried. A pattern of this actually caused the children under the age of two to die from a sickness they dubbed after a latin word for 'wasting away'. There had already been a pattern of this in foster homes for those who were willing to look. So, a different Doctor decided to investigate. He found that in German institutions there was nothing different from American institutions except that an old woman would go around and hold each and every young child in the facility. When he questioned the Germans about it, they said simply that without her ministrations, many of the children would die.
There were some other studies that went so far as to compare how much American couples touch in public vs how much Europeans touch. On average, American couples in a coffee shop touch about 2 times per visit, whereas Europeans 110-150 times per visit. Not all of these types of interaction are sexual in nature, they are simply are necessary to general well being.
It listed some fun facts about giving backrubs.
A 10 minute back rub twice a week improved workers concentration, and they made fewer errors.
A 40 min rub helped lesson cancer patients pain where drugs could not.
It also had details about how in another study children that had been cuddled and spent time with their parents were overall much happier regardless of their parents financial standing, their own financial standing, they were happier in the jobs, and with their own person in general.
So, perhaps that particular doctor on Oprah could just be the next Dr. Spock of today's age. Perhaps he was speaking specifically to Nymphomaniacs (which I'm beginning to think I just might be...). Americans by far, are way too prudish anyway. No, I don't necessarily like to see people macking on the streets, but to me seeing an elderly couple with a smile, walking down the street holding hands really makes me think that there are things right in the world.
(PS .. I'll try to reobtain that article and post it later, if possible. I may post it in my own journal with a simply a link here.)
I'll have to post it later.
Anyway.. there was this brilliant Doctor (so called pediatrician) around the turn of the last century (late 18, ealy 1900's) who decided that we as civilized humans needed to stop our barbaric ways of coddling our infants and children. As a result of so many well-to-do mothers trying to be the latest-up-to-date in fashion, they would simply feed their young on a time schedule and ignore them the rest of the time if they cried. A pattern of this actually caused the children under the age of two to die from a sickness they dubbed after a latin word for 'wasting away'. There had already been a pattern of this in foster homes for those who were willing to look. So, a different Doctor decided to investigate. He found that in German institutions there was nothing different from American institutions except that an old woman would go around and hold each and every young child in the facility. When he questioned the Germans about it, they said simply that without her ministrations, many of the children would die.
There were some other studies that went so far as to compare how much American couples touch in public vs how much Europeans touch. On average, American couples in a coffee shop touch about 2 times per visit, whereas Europeans 110-150 times per visit. Not all of these types of interaction are sexual in nature, they are simply are necessary to general well being.
It listed some fun facts about giving backrubs.
A 10 minute back rub twice a week improved workers concentration, and they made fewer errors.
A 40 min rub helped lesson cancer patients pain where drugs could not.
It also had details about how in another study children that had been cuddled and spent time with their parents were overall much happier regardless of their parents financial standing, their own financial standing, they were happier in the jobs, and with their own person in general.
So, perhaps that particular doctor on Oprah could just be the next Dr. Spock of today's age. Perhaps he was speaking specifically to Nymphomaniacs (which I'm beginning to think I just might be...). Americans by far, are way too prudish anyway. No, I don't necessarily like to see people macking on the streets, but to me seeing an elderly couple with a smile, walking down the street holding hands really makes me think that there are things right in the world.
(PS .. I'll try to reobtain that article and post it later, if possible. I may post it in my own journal with a simply a link here.)