Oxytocin: Is Love Just a Drug? | Answers With Joe

Oxytocin is known as the "Cuddle Hormone" because our brains produce it when we have physical contact with others, and it's thought to help induce feelings of connection between people.

But the truth about Oxytocin is far more complicated than we've been led to believe.

Support this channel on Patreon!

Follow me at all my places!

Scientific American article:

[pappykappy]

your channel is so underrated Joe. your channel is so amszing!

[JulzA..O.o]

Hi Joe, another awesome episode! I found the discussion about Autism interesting. Would you mind considering doing an episode on what science knows about Autism and/or disability in humans. I've just discovered your videos, so forgive the reply being from a 2016 clip.

[MargoMB]

OMG PUPPY-ZOEY IS ADORABLE!!! *likes video 15 seconds in due to puppy*

[andrewpelle]

Can you do a video on whether math is a man made concept for understanding the physical world, or whether it exist in nature? Love the videos keep 'em coming!

[joemulkerins]

This video should have many, many more views/likes

[ohhavoc.]

I demand a "Zoe camera" in every video now

[shadowman]

@4:09 I guess having grown up with so much family and love, now that I am alone, makes me act this way? I want 0 to do with anyone outside my now, passed away group... putting me in a dire situation.

[annecantgame]

The little baby Zoey is so cute. I've always preferred cats, but Zoey is a doggo that I would cuddle 10/10

[god]

On a certain level, we have a drug store in our brain, the neurochemicals that show up in flow: so dopamine, norepinephrine, anandamide, endorphins, and serotonin. If you were to try to cocktail the street drug version of that, right, you're trying to blend like heroin and speed and coke and acid and weed- and point is, you can't do it. It turns out the brain can cocktail all of 'em at once, which is why people will prefer flow to almost any experience on Earth. It's our favorite experience. It's the most addictive experience on Earth. Why? 'Cause it cocktails five or six of the largest pleasure drugs the brain can produce. We're all capable of so much more than we know. That is a commonality across the board. And one of the big reasons is we're all hardwired for flow, and flow is a massive amplification of what's possible for ourselves.

[cmcolemanhome]

This is a great video. She is so cute. I love the tie in because it made such great sense.

[stefan]

awesome video as always Joe ! 😀 its really intersitng learning about this !

[amendippanesar]

Awesome video! that autism part was pretty interesting

[portzblitz]

The bitch joke was an odd inclusion.

Good video.

[Rachoszsky]

Nice video, Joe! However, regarding the mirror neurons: I recently read that babies actually don't "mirror" their parents' behavior. (They couldn't reproduce the results of the corresponding study. In a nutshell, babies seem to mimic their parents by accident) Having said that, I love the concept ;)

[andrewhensley]

Heads up joe in 5 years your dog will not realize it can walk around and into the room the other way when you close the door to your office but you also won’t have to leave her to go to work anymore

[papnlilly]

Can you please do a video on the Simulation Hypothesis?

[Archer]

The irony is that it is also addictive... You can become addicted to petting and loving an animal and addicted to your lover too. And some people ALWAYS hve to have someone close to them without ever giving it much thought as to why, besides saying their a social butterfly.

[DustinRodriguez_]

I'm not sure why you kept using the word 'pairbond'... oxytocin works well for bonding amongst groups as well. And that's almost undoubtedly how it was used by our nomadic tribal ancient ancestors (like, before we were able to speak ancient). Although I don't think oxytocin deprivation has been proven to be the mechanism, affectionate touch is known to be necessary for infant survival. Not just 'it helps' or 'its good for them', but 'if you do everything else right, but don't cuddle them, they will die from that alone.' That was discovered when the idea got popular in society that affectionate touching of children was harmful because it made them weak, and a hospital thought that sounded good and didn't want to make kids weak, so came up with a 'no touching the babies' policy. Then... babies started dying. They called it "failure to thrive" (this term is used still, but refers to something different). (search for 'Dr. Luther Holt' to learn more, he was the pediatrician who told parents to stop coddling their kids in the early 1900s... the same time period you said oxytocin was discovered which makes me wonder if the two things are related perhaps?)

[averiemaylyn]

My boyfriend moved away, I cry every single night #sadboihours. We do long distance. We have been together for almost a year

[Switchk]

Hi Joe, I like your videos a lot, there is just one thing in this one which bothers me. You shouldn't have bought yourself a puppy if you have to lock her up somewhere for several hours. They form strong bonds and it's very mentaly painful for them. You should do a video about the psyche of a dog. Maybe that helps to understand :) Still a lot of cool stuff on your channel.