Oxytocin – The Wonderdrug: What It Is And How Can We Get More Of It

What is Oxytocin?

Often called the love drug, Oxytocin is a hormone which is released by the brain into the bloodstream and acts as a chemical messenger, communicating with your body to promote feelings of love, social bonding and wellbeing. The warm fuzzy feelings you get when you cuddle a puppy, hug your friend, or kiss your partner- that’s Oxytocin at work.

This amazing little brain chemical is responsible for a number of positive functions. When released by the brain it reaches several important areas in the nervous system which are involved in the regulation of social interaction, fear, aggression, perception of pain, calm, wellbeing and stress, trust and openness and our generosity, or lack of it. It also plays an important role in childbirth and breastfeeding, and lack of Oxytocin in early infancy, is thought to be implicated in some mental health issues in later life, particularly ADHD and addiction.

There have been many studies carried out on the benefits of Oxytocin and it had been found to positively impact bonding, social interactions, emotion, dependency, feelings of safety, relaxation, intimacy and trust. Oxytocin also protects our bodies from stress by reducing cortisol, a stress hormone, so is a cardioprotective hormone; less stress equals a better functioning immune system. It also lowers blood pressure and also assists with pain relief and pain tolerance. Numerous studies have found that not only does Oxytocin work directly on the brains pain processing areas, it indirectly decreases suffering by relieving depression and anxiety related to pain.

How We Can Coax Our Brains Into Giving Us More

The great news is that we don’t need any pharmaceuticals to artificially provide Oxytocin and I wouldn’t recommend sniffing any of the untested and unregulated sprays available on the internet. This amazing substance is offered free of charge and in abundance to anyone and everyone.

Get Your Cuddle on

Physical touch is a guaranteed way to fire up Oxytocin release, so go hug someone. Not limited to human to human touch, stroking our pets also releases Oxytocin for both human and animal. The average length of a hug between two people is 3 seconds but researchers have found that a 20 second hug releases Oxytocin and provides the therapeutic effects of the hormone on the body and mind. In a famous quote, psychotherapist Virginia Satir says “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth”.

Practicing Kindness

In his book, ‘Why Kindness is Good For You’, Dr David Hamilton explains that acts a kindness release Oxytocin, which contribute to our levels of happiness and helps to protect our hearts by reducing the level of free radicals and inflammation in our cardiovascular system and so slows ageing.

Giving Birth or Breastfeeding

Not options for everyone, but if it’s in your plans you can look forward to the warm fuzzy Oxytocin rush. During childbirth and breastfeeding Oxytocin is controlled by a positive feedback mechanism which stimulates more of its own release, reducing stress, increasing the mother’s ability to cope with pain and assisting with the mother-infant bonding process.

Sexual Pleasure

Not just the hormone of labour, Oxytocin is the hormone of love and lust. The hormone triggers the release of the mood chemicals Dopermine and Seratonin, in the brain, and heightens feelings of trust and intimacy. As mentioned previously it also counters the stress hormone Cortisol. Either with a partner or alone, sexual pleasure is one of the most effective ways to get a big shot of Oxytocin.

Watch an Emotional Movie

A 2009 research study showed that inducing empathy by watching emotional video clips raised the subjects Oxytocin levels. When we can empathise with the emotions of others it triggers the release of the hormone.

Use the Forehead Oxytocin Release Exercise

For a quick fix of Oxytocin anywhere try this exercise. This is a powerful Psy-tap technique created by Pay-taps founder, Kevin Laye, which he discovered, delivers a warm fuzzy Oxytocin hit in 20-30 seconds, whenever you need it. Using your first two fingers, touching the skin lightly, draw a Lemniscate pattern, (infinity symbol), on the forehead for a count of 20-30 seconds. This will result in an Oxytocin release which will immediately cancel out any of the stress chemical Cortisol in the body. This is a powerful technique to maintain a stress free life.

Written by Lynn Roberts – Psy-tap & TFT Practitioner and Hypnotherapist 

Facebook @lynnhypnotherapy

*All Content is for informational purposes and shouldn’t replace the medical advice of your doctor or mental health professional.