Relationship Advice Tips from Dr. Jeanette Raymond, Ph.D.
Emotional closeness in a relationship is the key to a stable, secure and satisfying connection that makes a couple more resilient to the stresses and strains of living together.
Here are a few benefits that emotional intimacy can provide for couples over the long term:
- One of the main benefits of intimacy is that it releases the hormone oxytocin which promotes bonding and solidifies the relationship, boosting optimal health.
- Another is that it fosters trust and security in relationships that prevent suspicion, jealousy and the revenge-punishment cycle – which confers health benefits of balanced energy, good sleeping patterns, and stamina.
- Intimacy involves the use of empathy, helping minimize trauma, shock and fear – all known to have negative health outcomes – basically it allows the people to cope in a healthy way rather than turn to drugs, alcohol or other substances.
- Intimacy has been proven to reduce stress, and in that way protects against stress related conditions like ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, dermatitis, hair loss, cardiovascular disease, and a host of other autoimmune conditions.
- Intimacy calms the fear center of the brain, and together with the reduction in stress, it facilitates greater communication among the neurons in the brain, leading to healthier mind-body conditions.
- Intimacy inoculates against the poor health outcomes associated with conflict, loneliness and insecurity.
AUTHOR OF ‘Now You Want Me, Now You Don’t! Fear of Intimacy: ten ways to recognize it and ten ways to manage it in your relationships.”
Copyright, Jeanette Raymond, Ph.D.
You might also like:
Ensure your relationship against a loss of intimacy and commitment
How gender differences in handling stress affect intimacy
How to make up after a fight and find intimacy
The seven most common problems in emotional intimacy
Disclaimer: this article is for informational and educative purposes only. Dr. Raymond is not responsible for any reactions you may have when reading the content or using the suggestions therein. Interacting with this material does not constitute a therapeutic relationship with Dr. Jeanette Raymond
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