This nasal spray may be the cure for loneliness

A spray of the so -called “love hormone” can be the key to ease the constant feelings of loneliness.

In a 2014 study, a team of European researchers and Israelis tested if oxytocin, hormone liberated when people are connected, embraced or felt connected, can help overcome gap for those who fight social isolation.

Results? A nasal oxytocin spray significantly reduced the acute feelings of loneliness to participants, especially during group therapy sessions, even several months after treatment.

In the study, 78 men and women were given a dose of oxytocin 30 minutes before the weekly sessions of group therapy.

While the hormone did not drastically affect long -term masses such as perceived loneliness in general, quality of life or stress, participants who received oxytocin reported that they felt less lonely in the short term than those receiving a placebo.

In particular, those who received an extra dose of hormone also made it easier to connect with others.

“Oxytocin was able to strengthen positive relationships with other members of the group and reduce the acute feelings of loneliness from the beginning,” said Jana Lieberz, a member of the Faculty at the German University of Bonn and the old author of the newspaper. “Therefore it may be useful to support patients with this at the beginning of psychotherapy.”

Despite positive results, researchers warn that oxytocin will not be seen as a magic bullet. They also emphasized that therapy is not always necessary to reduce feelings of loneliness.

However, they noted that the study suggests that oxytocin one day can be used to play a supportive role in therapeutic environments. Further study is needed to determine whether these short -term benefits can be translated into sustainable change.

The good feeling hormone that can help – and hurt

Oxytocin, often called “hug hormone”, is produced in the hypothalamus and released into the bloodstream from the pituitary gland.

Positive physical connections such as hugs, kisses and sexual intimacy have all been shown to cause hormone release. Other pleasant activities, such as training, listening to music or spending time with animals, have also been shown to increase oxytocin levels.

Because it is related to the construction of relationships and positive feelings, there is an increasing interest in the use of oxytocin as a treatment for different mental health conditions.

Research suggests that elevated hormone levels can contribute to a better mood and reduce anxiety by calming the center of brain fear, amygdala. Oxytocin is also associated with a decrease in stress hormones such as cortisol, leading to a calming effect.

“Scientists have suggested that oxytocin can play a role in stress by interfering with the fear of war and the response of the sympathetic nervous system – so that the person under threat can stand instead of fighting or fleeing,” Dr. Deborah Lee, one sex. And reproductive health specialist, told Live Science.

But oxytocin is not always the medicine – everything is created. In fact, its effects can be unpredictable.

Depending on the social environment and emotional context, research suggests that oxytocin can increase emotional sensitivity. When people experience negative interactions or have extremely high hormone levels, they can sometimes cause anxiety, rather than providing relief.

“We thought this is the type of hormone that makes people always feel good and happy, and in fact it is not the case,” Lily Brown, director of the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania, told Healthcentral Lily Brown. . “In fact, it seems to raise our attention to prominent, positive or negative signs.”

An increasing crisis

Research time on the effects of oxytocin on loneliness can no longer be urgent, as social isolation continues to torment the United States. The problem, already increasing, has exacerbated the coronavirus pandemia and the blockages that followed, forcing millions of people in prolonged periods of isolation.

According to a 2024 survey by the American Association of Psychiatry, nearly 30% of American adults reported feeling lonely at least once a week last year and 10% said they felt lonely every day. Young people were particularly at risk.

The shares are high. In 2023, the then American surgeon, General Vivek Murthy, declared loneliness a public health crisis, warning that it is as dangerous as tobacco or obesity.

Studies show that loneliness increases the risk of premature death, while contributing to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, addiction, madness and high blood pressure. Physical tariffs do not end there: raised stress hormones from loneliness have also been shown to lead to blood vessel tightening and increased blood pressure.

Mentally, the effects are just as devastating. It has been shown that loneliness increases the risk of depression, anxiety and even suicide.