Soon, a ‘love potion’ that may help couples communicate better
April 30th, 2009 - 3:14 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Apr 30 (ANI): Relationships are tricky. Most of the people think at some point that communicating positively with their partners when discussing stressful issues, like home finances, is an impossible task. But, worry not, for Swiss researchers are working on a “love potion” that will drive away all such conflicts.
Researchers have begun exploring the benefits of oxytocin for helping couples communicate better.
Oxytocin has been touted as beneficial for reducing anxiety, producing feelings of well-being, empathy, bonding, and sexual arousal.
In its May 1st issue, Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier, includes a paper by Swiss researchers that have investigated the effects of oxytocin, the “love hormone,” on human couple interactions.
They recruited adult couples who received oxytocin or placebo intranasally before engaging in a conflict discussion in the laboratory.
Oxytocin increased positive communication behavior in relation to negative behavior and reduced salivary cortisol, i.e., their stress levels, compared to placebo.
“We are just beginning to understand the powerful effects of hormones and chemicals released by the body in the context of important social interactions,” commented John Krystal, M.D., the editor of Biological Psychiatry.
“As this knowledge grows, the question of how to best use our developing capacities to pharmacologically alter social processes will become an important question to explore,” he added.
Author Beate Ditzen, Ph.D., noted that this was the first study of its kind and important because it evaluated real-time natural couple behavior in the laboratory.
“[Oxytocin] might help us to pronounce the effects of a standard treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, by possibly making the benefits of social interaction more accessible to the individual. But it probably will not replace these standard treatments,” the expert added.
They clarify that this study does not show that oxytocin should currently be used as a treatment itself and the effects of repeated administration have not been evaluated in humans. (ANI)
- Oxytocin activates brain function in autistic kids - May 20, 2012
- Cuddle chemical improves social cognition only in less socially proficient people - Sep 22, 2010
- Mother, father show similar love hormone levels after childbirth - Aug 22, 2010
- Prairie voles' social bonding offers hopes for new autism therapies - Apr 30, 2011
- 'Cuddle chemical' could help schizophrenics - Jul 17, 2010
- Elevated levels of sodium blunt body's natural response to stress - Apr 06, 2011
- Love hormone nasal spray could cure shyness - Sep 24, 2010
- Love really does bring with it feeling of jealousy - Nov 13, 2009
- Abusive mothering leads to increased stress among kids - Jun 22, 2010
- Oxytocin, love hormone, could cure shyness - Sep 26, 2010
- Nasal spray could make you more outgoing - Dec 11, 2011
- Oxytocin improves social behaviour of autistics - Feb 17, 2010
- Bonding hormone-based nasal spray helps men recognise emotions - May 15, 2010
- Smoking can reduce thickness of the brain - Dec 03, 2010
- Mum's phone call as comforting as a hug during stressful times - May 12, 2010
Tags: adult couples, biological psychiatry, cognitive behavioral therapy, communication behavior, elsevier, home finances, hormones, human couple, impossible task, krystal, love potion, negative behavior, oxytocin, salivary cortisol, social interaction, social interactions, social processes, stress levels, stressful issues, swiss researchers