Blog #3-Give a bear hug for the Belonging Molecule Oxytocin.
Let’s talk about the recent trend in Pediatricians prescribing the hormone Oxytocin to treat adolescent anxiety and depression. For me, this brings to mind the African greeting of the Masai people“ Are the children well?”
My answer is No as the children need less touch screens and more importantly, safe affirming touch. Here are some facts about Oxytocin, the belonging molecule.
Oxytocin is the Queen of social hormones, released in high doses during breast feeding, and sexual activity.
Oxytocin is best described as the “sense of belonging molecule.” The molecule is released in maintenance doses with a focus on mindful, safe and affirming elements. The sensation of touch, simple warmth, food consumption, and eye contact are other examples of maintenance doses.
Infants given basic nutrients but left without physical contact, not only fail to thrive or have life long social deficiencies, but in some cases even die without touch. Oxytocin is at a deficiency in our American “low touch” society.
Perhaps, a low touch society like America, is not the root cause of our varied social diseases. What this tells me is that a sense of belonging and a desire for wellbeing cannot be nourished in the small family circle alone.
More so, when scaled to a neighborhood and community, we need meaningful and intentional eye contact. Safe affirming touch is also nourishing with actions like the first bump, the hand shake or a pat on the back.
Consider this
Could the following only have a short term effect on social wellness?
-Isolated Therapies
-Micro/Macrodosing Nueotransmitter
-Alternating Pharmaceuticals & Nutraceuticals
Would sitting with a Naturopath for 1 hour compared to sitting with a MD for 15mins produce a sense of wellbeing?
Sitting in front of an empathetic witness such as a Naturopathic Doctor like Dr. Bonita Wilcox builds empowerment. The empowerment cultivated from that experience will bring a sense of wellbeing and security.
Book your free call with Dr. Bonita Wilcox below and feel into the “belonging molecule” Oxytocin.
Sources
1.
Auyeung B, Lombardo MV, Heinrichs M, et al. Oxytocin increases eye contact during a real-time, naturalistic social interaction in males with and without autism. Translational Psychiatry. 2015;5(2):e507-e507. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2014.146
2.
Cleveland Clinic. Oxytocin: What It Is, Function & Effects. Cleveland Clinic. Published March 27, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22618-oxytocin
3.
How To Increase Oxytocin: The Love Hormone. Amy Myers MD. https://www.amymyersmd.com/article/how-to-increase-oxytocin