Table of contents:
- How does the hormone oxytocin affect relationships?
- Impact if the amount of the hormone oxytocin is not normal
Who said there is no scientific explanation of how love comes. In fact, in your body there is a love regulator known as the oxytocin hormone. Oxytocin is a hormone that plays a role in the reproductive system, childbirth, breastfeeding, social interactions, and a person's behavior. The amount of oxytocin will increase when you interact with people you care about, for example when you hug or have sex. This is why oxytocin is also often referred to as the "love hormone".
Then, what is the role of the hormone oxytocin in your relationship? Here's the explanation.
How does the hormone oxytocin affect relationships?
When the hormone oxytocin is produced, it affects your cognitive and emotional behavior. Usually, when this oxytocin appears, you will feel relaxed, your emotions are more stable, and you feel less anxious. A study in a journal Psychopharmacology have even found that oxytocin can lead to trusting, warm, friendly attitudes in a relationship.
In addition, oxytocin is a brain chemical that allows you to adapt to emotional situations. For example, when you have sexual activity with a partner. This hormone produced by the pituitary gland will increase sexual stimulation and make you feel closer to your partner during sex.
Uniquely, a similar study in 2013 showed that oxytocin can increase men's loyalty to their partners. This love hormone increases the activation of the positive feedback system in the brain. The effect is that men's positive perceptions of their partner's appearance are increasing so that they think that their partners are more attractive than other women.
Through its various effects, oxytocin helps build a strong emotional bond between you and your partner. The positive emotions that arise help strengthen these bonds and create long-term connections. This is one of the reasons why couples who have spent time together for years can still last even though they no longer feel the overflowing love they first met.
Impact if the amount of the hormone oxytocin is not normal
This love hormone will only be released when the body gets a stimulus, aka stimulation. For example, uterine muscle contractions during childbirth stimulate oxytocin production. This hormone then increases the frequency and intensity of uterine muscle contractions, making labor easier. A similar mechanism occurs when you interact with your partner.
However, an imbalanced amount of the hormone oxytocin can also cause health problems. The amount of the hormone oxytocin that is too high can cause the prostate to grow bigger and swell. Although benign and harmless, this enlarged prostate can make it difficult for men to urinate.
Meanwhile, the hormone oxytocin that is too low will inhibit the reflex of expressing milk in the breast and is allegedly associated with the appearance of depression symptoms. The relationship between oxytocin and depressive symptoms has not been widely demonstrated in studies. So, these findings still need more supporting research.
Oxytocin is a biological factor that is important for maintaining a warm relationship, but the love hormone is not the only determinant of the harmony of your relationship with your partner. There are so many factors that can influence it, and these factors can vary from couple to couple.
Good and effective communication still plays an important role in keeping your relationship harmonious. Build healthy relationships by giving mutual attention and respect for each other. Overcome conflicts that occur properly so that they do not drag on. Also express your gratitude to your partner for the various positive things he has given.
