'Cuddle Hormone' Autism Treatment

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A recent study found that an oxytocin nasal spray made men more empathetic, and more capable of learning from positive social feedback. Some of the immediate implications are in mental disorders where people become withdrawn and reclusive, most immediately schizophrenia, but they're also thinking it might be useful in autism treatment.

It sounds good. I'm not entirely sure how effective this will be. The potential implications of oxytocin treatment are significant, but I'm not sure how much it'll actually accomplish.

'Cuddle Hormone' makes men more empathetic.

Of course, lack of empathy is only one possible trait of autism--and not even one that's in any diagnostic criteria that I know of, unless I'm misinterpreting something.

In fact, from what I can tell, a lot of people on the spectrum have plenty of empathy, sometimes even too much. My 12 year old AS son was unable to sleep a few nights ago, because he was so sad and worried about the fact that his little brother had lost a special stuffed animal. He said it felt doubly bad because not only was he sad about the lost stuffed animal himself, but he was also sad about the fact that his brother was sad. Sometimes he seems so affected by people's emotions that it's too much, and it hard for him. The trick, though, is that he has to recognize what the other person is feeling first. If he doesn't recognize that another person is suffering, then naturally he won't have any empathy.


If I'm not mistaken, oxytocin is the hormone that is produced during childbirth. A synthetic version (pitocin) is sometimes given to induce labor if the doctor thinks the child is overdue (and would be safer outside the womb), and labor isn't starting naturally. That was the case with me and my AS son. Could there be a connection between that and his AS? I guess we'll never know. Aspie traits run in my family, but he's the only one to have been diagnosed.

I saw that article too and thought it was interesting but confusing. (Actually, the one I saw had more silliness with the "It makes men act like women!" idea.)

I don't know whether oxytocin would help me in social situations or make me worse, though-- my problem is that I am usually too sensitive and afraid of upsetting others!

IDK, I was recently pregnant and I'm still breastfeeding and I got even LESS cuddly. But maybe it will work for some? Didn't work for me

That's true, although the oxytocin is supposed to help with that. The treatment might potentially be useful, but we'll have to see. This is something that could go many ways when it comes to treatment. We're either looking at a wild goose chase, something that will work on some, but not all, or the next golden goose of medical treatments.

Makes me glad I'm not in pharmaceuticals.

It's just a hormone that makes you more interested in others. It ain't going to change how you suck at "normal" social interaction.

Well, you might be more trusting of others, but I don't think that's a good thing, especially for people with an ASD.

Good point.

I think the "lack of empathy" seen in autistic people is too complicated to be fixed by this. Even if it could make an autistic person hyper aware of everyone elses problems and increase that person's desire to be social and "cuddle," that may be more stressful because the difficulties in knowing how to go about being more social would still be there.

If someone tells me directly or shows me in some other way I can understand that they are upset, I care and want to help. However, I am usually really,really bad at it.

Also, for me at least, many reasons I do not like socializing are because of my sensory sensitivities. People are LOUD and use smelly products.

seems to bothersome. ill wait til the POV gun is finished being built

This. I prefer not caring about people. It makes it better when people make fun me for being weird or saying something inappropriate.

The "lack of empathy" people are describing for AS isnt the same as it is for Antisocial Personality Disorders.

I do have empathy, i care for others, but living in a cold society where noone care for you back or even can put themselves in your position has the effect of flipping the empathy switch into the off position. The only ones i care about now are animals and homeless people.