Oxytocin – the love hormone – could cure shyness

J_D

Member
Oxytocin – the love hormone – could cure shyness - Telegraph

Scientists have discovered that the hormone oxytocin could help wallflowers overcome awkwardness in social situations

The chemical dubbed "the hormone of love" is known to increase empathy and bonding – especially parents and their children.

But now researchers have found it improves the social skills of the shy – but has little effect on those who are naturally confident.

The finding could have implications for those with severe social deficiencies, often apparent in conditions like autism.

Researchers at Israel's Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment and Columbia University were examining whether the hormone, which occurs naturally in the body could make us more understanding of others.

They conducted a test of 27 healthy adult men, giving them the hormone or a placebo via a nasal spray and then asking them to perform an 'empathic accuracy task' - which measures their powers of reading the thoughts and feelings of others.

This involved watching others discussing emotional moments in their lives, then rating how they felt those people were feeling.

The scientists, whose research is published in Psychological Science, also measured the participants' social competency, using a test known as AQ which is usually used in autistic patients.

They found that oxytocin did improve powers of empathy – but only among those who were less socially proficient in the first place.

The more socially comfortable participants performed well on the empathetic task regardless of whether they were on oxytocin or placebo.

But less socially proficient participants performed significantly better on oxytocin, with their empathetic powers performance identical to that of the more outgoing participants.

Prof Jennifer Bartz, of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said: "Oxytocin is widely believed to make all people more empathetic and understanding of others.

"Our study contradicts that. Instead, oxytocin appears to be helpful only for those who are less socially proficient.

"Our data show that oxytocin selectively improves social cognition in people who are less socially proficient, but had little impact on more socially proficient individuals.

"While more research is required, these results highlight the potential oxytocin holds for treating social deficits in people with disorders marked by deficits in social functioning like autism."
 

Feathers

Well-known member
Interesting! What do you eat to get more oxytocin?

And if you are already too empathic, is it better to decrease the level of this and increase some other stuff, like assertiveness or courage hormones or such? :)
 
Wow this is awesome - I think coyote posted this once. Great news! Looking forward to it being made available for consumption :). Hopefully soon!
 
The chemical dubbed "the hormone of love" is known to increase empathy and bonding – especially parents and their children.

The last thing I need is increased empathy, that's one of the main reasons why I'm so damn depressed all the time, I seem to absorb everyone elses pain....like a sponge
 

EscapeArtist

Well-known member
Good thread. Just bumping it up there. I read that lack of oxytocin can contribute to sociopath...ism. Also that when oxytocin was blocked in rats' brains, they stopped caring for their children and stopped socially interacting. I'd like to see some more research on oxytocin. Also there are studies of the benefits of oxytocin to autistic people

"Oxytocin treatments also resulted in an increased retention of affective speech in adults with autism.[25] Two related studies in adults, in 2003 and 2007, found that oxytocin decreased repetitive behaviors and improved interpretation of emotions. More recently, intranasal administration of oxytocin was found to increase emotion recognition in children as young as 12 who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders"

I don't know about intranasal adminstration, I hear that oxytocin can't penetrate the blood brain barrier. I'm guessing that the best way to improve oxytocin is to stay away from the things that use it all up. Drugs, sugar, caffeine, orgasms all spike it (and dopamine) up and then the levels stay lowered for up to a week.
 
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This sounds more like a prescription for an a-sexual person
.....


Like.. How can this help us? o_o

Does it reduce anxiety? (how??)
Does it makes you more social? (why is that?)
Does it take depressive thoughts away? ( i guess love.. yeah.. well some still would struggle with loneliness..i would say)
Does it make you enjoy things more? (i guess so...)
Does it make you feel more relaxed and calm in your body? like no panicky feelings?

Please inform us more... Why This is the CURE. I always wanna have a good reason, that it is really a good method.
I tried out several meds and pills whatever, never took SA away.

Only oxazepam makes me feel calm, but that is addiction triggering stuff.

So ... Can you give a proper explanation why this is especially helping with Social Anxiety ?

Have people been trying it out?

Thanks!
 
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