Definition
The body’s own messenger substance oxytocin, often also known as “cuddling hormone”, is released during orgasm as well as at birth and causes an involuntary contraction of the uterine muscles and the vagina. It is through this birth-facilitating function that the hormone got its name: The term oxytocin comes from the Greek and means “easy birth”. When breastfeeding, it is responsible for the secretion of breast milk by the contraction of the muscle cells of the mammary gland.
Oxytocin also promotes interpersonal and emotional bonding between mother and child or sexual partners. A deficiency of this hormone means that either relatively or absolutely too little oxytocin is present to cause these bond-building effects. Oxytocin deficiency as such is still a rather unexplored area, as are the consequences of such a deficiency. According to the current state of knowledge, it can be assumed that a lack of oxytocin can be partly responsible for various mental or psychological illnesses or at least can be associated with some of them.
Symptoms
Oxytocin deficiency is most severe in women during childbirth, where a sufficient level of oxytocin is essential for adequate muscle tension in the uterus. An oxytocin deficiency can therefore cause so-called uterine atony, i.e. a loss of tension in the uterine muscles during birth. This leads to severe bleeding, which can sometimes be life-threatening for the mother.
In addition, a low oxytocin level can probably affect a person’s ability to bind: In animal experiments, monogamous animals showed consistently higher oxytocin levels than animals that often change their sexual partners. It is assumed that this phenomenon can also be transferred to humans. People who have problems with lasting bonds or even simple interpersonal relationships may therefore have lower oxytocin levels.
In the meantime, it is even assumed that there is a connection between an oxytocin deficiency and mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders. There is probably also a correlation to autism. Whether a lack of oxytocin is actually the cause or even the effect of mental illness is not yet clear, however.
