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devohoneybee at 02:50pm on 29/07/2013
devohoneybee at 02:50pm on 29/07/2013http://www.news.wisc.edu/21970
Research showing that girls who were physically abused have an oxytocin reponse to stress rather than a cortisol one. Oxytocin is a hormone that makes people feel love feelings, like cuddling or otherwise connecting. One of the times most people get a rush of oxytocin is right after orgasm, leading to the cuddling or "I feel safe I can fall asleep now" feeling. So why would abused girls get an ocytocin surge? Oxytocin may by protective by helping them be placating in a physically unsafe environment when they are too young to fight back or leave. It may also set them up for the “but he loves me” response with abuse later in life.
Understanding this may be useful in helping women who were abused distinguish between a biological response and their emotions, and see the old soothing/placating/connecting behaviors as a survival strategy that has outlived its usefulness.
The study did not explore emotional abuse without physical abuse, but I suspect some of the responses may be the same.
Research showing that girls who were physically abused have an oxytocin reponse to stress rather than a cortisol one. Oxytocin is a hormone that makes people feel love feelings, like cuddling or otherwise connecting. One of the times most people get a rush of oxytocin is right after orgasm, leading to the cuddling or "I feel safe I can fall asleep now" feeling. So why would abused girls get an ocytocin surge? Oxytocin may by protective by helping them be placating in a physically unsafe environment when they are too young to fight back or leave. It may also set them up for the “but he loves me” response with abuse later in life.
Understanding this may be useful in helping women who were abused distinguish between a biological response and their emotions, and see the old soothing/placating/connecting behaviors as a survival strategy that has outlived its usefulness.
The study did not explore emotional abuse without physical abuse, but I suspect some of the responses may be the same.
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