Has Science Found A Cure For Shyness?

Time magazine is reporting that scientists may have found a cure for shyness.

Known as oxytocin (not to be confused with the painkiller OxyContin), the naturally occurring hormone is best known for controlling contractions during labor, but it also plays a key role in other fundamental human urges -- including the desire to connect with others.

Without oxytocin people would be far less inclined to seek social interaction, let alone fall in love and mate for life (or, as scientists call it, "pair bond"). Conversely, researchers are beginning to discover that low levels of the hormone -- or the body's faulty response to it -- may contribute to severe social dysfunctions like depression and autism.

Early studies of oxytocin's role in social interaction have yielded some interesting results... In studies by Paul Zak, director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies in Claremont, Calif., small doses of inhaled oxytocin spray reduced anxiety and wariness of strangers in healthy volunteers; in one trial, the hormone made people feel more generous and trusting with their money.

This follows the BBC's report in March that chronic shyness may, in fact, be an illness.

Read more from Time.com here.

Comments

[strifeknot]

Big Pharma won't be satisfied until every American is on at least one prescription drug. If you have a real disease, they'll invent a designer ailment for you.

[RaisingAwareness]

Paxil, the drug Brooke Shields promoted, used to be considered a "cure for shyness". Over a hundred-thousand lawsuits later for everything from birth-defects to suicide, .....not-so-much.

[OnTheCusp]

There's not a g*ddamned thing wrong with being shy.

[1will]

The cure was found long ago. It's called alcohol.

[ibsteve2u]

lolllll....although I am forced to agree with you, my personal experience is that alcohol is at best a temporary solution and quite often includes severe side effects...among which I number hangovers and bright red handprints on your cheeks...

[sophieozz]

All this stuff they want us to inhale, swallow and inject. Leave us alone.

[Quaoar]

Wariness towards strangers and not being trusting with one's own money are actually positive survival traits which should not necessarily be discouraged. How long will it be before used car salesmen , politicians, and other con artists start using Oxytocin spray?

[axt113]

Quick look over there

*spray*

[Badbone]

It’s an illness in that it may cause pain for the person, yes. An illness in the sense that not being tall if you are male or not having a great rack if you are female.

But I think that shyness is a good, useful trait. Do we really want an entire world of outgoing extroverts? Does the world not have room for people who would rather read a book? I think the world owes a lot to those sort of people.

And must we make everything that is even the slightest aberration from the statistical mean into a “disease” that must be “cured”?

[jvarga]

Beer has also been known to work. At least in the case of my non-randomized non-blind clinical studies.

[SubparDude]

It succeeded in my study in which all were double-blind, and I mean toasted.

[jvarga]

Good call, I should have said mine started non-blind but ended up double-blind :P