Oxytocin Or Love Hormone Has A Downside

Oxytocin or the hormone of love produces an intense, pure and magical sensation, both biologically and emotionally. It is also known as the hug molecule, the chemistry of happiness and the chemical formula of the relationship between parents and children. 

For example, oxytocin is essential at birth. It plays an important role in breastfeeding and in creating a strong bond between mother and baby. Undoubtedly, this connection is fundamental to the survival of the human race and other mammals.

That is why oxytocin, produced in the hypothalamus and secreted by the posterior pituitary gland, is one of the most beneficial substances in the body. We can say that this little hormone is the chemical essence of love. 

But what if I told you that oxytocin also hides a harmful side? This substance also has a less beneficial aspect, which can have a negative impact on our emotional integrity.

We are sure that many people are interested in this topic. In the lines below, we present more information about oxytocin. Read on to get a complete perspective on this multilateral hormone.

Oxytocin or  the love hormone creates relationships based on addiction

If you’ve ever had an addictive relationship, you were probably under the influence of one of the darker aspects of oxytocin. In such a relationship, passion nullifies your identity and priorities. You can even become that person’s captive, neglecting important aspects of your life.

It may seem like a simplistic metaphor or analogy, but neuropsychologists compare this type of infatuation to drunkenness or intoxication. In the situation described above, it is as if you have taken an “overdose” of oxytocin. In this case, you become addicted to a love that makes you suffer, but from which you cannot free yourself.

Oxytocin and social relations

Specialists have included oxytocin in the category of nonapeptides (peptides containing nine amino acids).

• Oxytocin acts as a hormone, but also as a neurotransmitter. Thanks to her, we can make decisions about our social interactions. Thus, we display behaviors based on generosity, empathy or altruism.
• Until recently, it was believed that oxytocin released by the brain is the key “remedy” to reduce the stress and anxiety often generated by everyday social interactions. These states can occur even when we interact with loved ones.

• Today, however, due to studies in the meantime, it has been shown that oxytocin can also have a negative effect. This can lead to less beneficial relationships. The obsession leads both partners slowly but surely to the path of self-destruction. 

Oxytocin or the hormone of love and alcohol: two substances that, in excess, make us lose control

The fact that love is sometimes a chemical catastrophe is not just a poetic exaggeration, but an undoubted reality.

• It is known that in the brain there are many similarities between oxytocin and alcohol. 
• Both mediate the transmission of GABA neurotransmitters in the prefrontal cortex and limbic structures. In addition, both have the ability to potentiate the effects of stress and anxiety. At the same time, alcohol and oxytocin can reduce the feeling of fear we feel when we want to display certain behaviors.

• Under the influence of both substances, we feel more confident, more courageous and feel a greater desire to experiment. 

That is why love based on a euphoria of passion and an almost sickly obsession feels almost like drunkenness. Therefore, it is more difficult for us to find a clear and objective balance or perspective on the situation. 

Neurologists and psychologists have become fascinated by the intense effect of oxytocin on some people. However, don’t think that you could create and market a new oxytocin-based beverage to replace alcohol. This option is not viable.

Instead, the possibility of using oxytocin to treat depression at various stages, as well as certain clinical conditions, is very real. 

Love is a very powerful drug

When we are in love, our brain releases a magical combination of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine… and the list goes on.

• Thanks to these neurotransmitters we feel more energy, passion, desire to experiment.
• Oxytocin or the love hormone is what contributes to the release of all these substances. In turn, they stimulate the production of an even stronger agent: phenethylamine.
• This endogenous chemical compound belongs to the amphetamine family. Phenethylamine is maintained in the human brain in high concentrations for about 4 years. 

This explains the initial period of intense passion in a relationship. In the beginning, we are like satellites orbiting a planet. We can’t see anything else in the universe. This condition is completely normal. But we must be careful not to lose our inner compass and not forget where the north is.

Even though falling in love can be a magical experience, you need to be careful not to compromise your personal integrity. Don’t get caught up in the whirlwind of “intoxicating” emotions that result from the flow of oxytocin in your brain.

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