The Dino-Aspie Ex-Café (for Those 40+... or feeling creaky)

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I only know about oxytocin in cows.

Hey, all.

I like all of you, and this is off topic perhaps a little, but I thought I would let you all know that I've decided to take some time off from the board.

This isn't to draw attention, but instead because I do not want anyone to take the fact that I'm not here personally. I like all of you very much.

But sometimes when I join an internet community I do start to post obsessively, which cuts in on my time alone and on my sleep (I cannot sleep until two- three hours after I get off the computer), which of coarse affects me elsewhere.

If I continue to post, I would be cranky. I don't know if I could explain it other than to say that I am the type of person that needs a lot of time to myself, and find it hard sometimes to balance being online with that time to myself. Eventually, I can find the balance getting a little out of whack so that I get a little obsessive about trying to contribute (posting a lot, and when that happens I can get annoying).

I do like to chat with everyone here and when I feel ready I will come back. I like you all.

And that's why I don't want you to see my cranky side.

And since I myself do sometimes get tempted to take things that I see and hear personally, I really do want to stress that this has nothing to do with anyone on the board. Just that I've been very tired lately (and I think it is related to feeling stressed at work).

Sorry, I ramble when I'm feeling worn out. I would like to know how you all balance this, though, when I come back.

morning-after...I think we all take breaks from here, I certainly have to when I get to out of balance...ie...the apartment is so cluttered that even the cat is tripping over stuff or I get a new "interest". It's totally normal and it's nice that you let people know because I do worry when people just disappear here.

So, enjoy your break and come back when your ready...even if that is tomorrow,(sometimes I say my goodbyes before I have actually kick my addictions.)

Yes, Morning_after, take your break. I think everyone takes breaks. We'll wait to hear from you again.

Robyn

Sam, I wish you a speedy resolution to your scheduling dilemmas, and I look forward to your return.

Sounds like good news Merle. By earstwhile...do you mean the guy who was coming out of retirement or someone else?

Does this new psychologist have experience in adult AS ?

Hey Krex! Sorry about my delay in responding - just got home from work. Your stim and orgasms did/do increase your oxytocin levels, and if the oxytocin levels are increased high enough, they do reduce anxiety (and promote bonding with others).
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articl ... id=1621060

Interesingly, increasing oxytocin levels increase obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD), which would explain a positive feedback loop on your stimming:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7524 ... t=Abstract
This also explains the attachment one finds between mothers and their children, and between lovers (a positive feedback "attachment" obsessive-compulsive loop).

I found this question on the website "Autism Today":
"Question: Do you have any information on the correlation between mothers who have had induced labor with potocin and an epidural and the incidence of autism? If so where is this research and why do they feel these medications can attribute to the initiation of pervasive developmental delay symptoms in children? Thanks, Kim Peters MS OTR/L CHT
Answer: Plasma oxytocin is low in autism. Treatment with oxytocin reduces autistic behavior but a published study showed no correlation with autism and administration of pitocin (oxytocin)for labor induction. Biol Psychiatry. 1998 Feb 15;43(4):270-7. Plasma oxytocin levels in autistic children.Modahl C, Green L, Fein D, Morris M, Waterhouse L, Feinstein C, Levin H."

According to this ten year old article (which I have not reviewed to see if it is statistically sound or properly designed), plasma oxytocin is low in autism.

According to the following article (2003), treating autism and Asperger's patients with oxytocin is not a cure, but does appear to reduce one of six parameters examined, namely - it reduces repetitive behaviors:
http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v28/n ... 0021a.html
Upon examination of this study, I would class it as a "preliminary study" only, and recommend holding reservations about the validity of this study, as it was conducted on a very small number of patients (15 patients: 6 with autism, 9 with Asperger's) unless and/or until it's results are verified by study of a larger sample and/or by various research teams working independently.

The question that immediately pops up in my mind is: why would an increase in oxytocin increase OCD behaviors, yet reduce repetitive behaviors in autistics? (Why does it reduce OCD behaviors in autistics? Is this an anomaly, and therefore oxytocin could be used as an autistic diagnostic tool?; a different oxytocin neuronal pathway which "turns on" in the presence of increased oxytocin levels in autistics?; is this study is completely wrong? etc...)

The following link is an "odds and ends" attempt at correlating autism, mirror neurons, electromagnetic radiation (EMFs disrupting nitric oxide synthase) and the effects of nitric oxide synthase isoform deletion on oxytocin and vasopressin messenger RNA (in the mouse hypothalamus):
http://www.buergerwelle.de/pdf/autism_em_bits.htm

I would say that what we are seeing here are a lot of hypotheses, a lot of preliminary and trial studies, and information that will one day either be discounted and/or supported with further research. In other words, right now it is interesting, but not yet "gospel".

One other thing: it has been found that increasing oxytocin levels high enough may increase anxiety levels (which could possibly explain the anxiety/jealousy seen in some couples when they are apart from each other).

Likely, your stims and orgasms bring your oxytocin to a level that reduces your anxiety levels (and perhaps a positive feedback loop to continue the behavior).

Time for a nap!
I take breaks too, Sam. Come back when you are caught up again.
Hello to all, and good night/morning/afternoon.

Thanks for the feedback Chuck...I am still not sure how the "trust" things fits though,as I thought I had a lot of trust in people when I was very young. I didn't feel bonded to them, however, so maybe my trust was just part of over all nievity?

Anywhooo, enjoy the nap and thanks for responding. Looks like I may have to wait to get oxytocin nasal spray

Ok. Reality check.

check received, thenk yew!

I always read the oxytocin/autism issue with great interest. My youngest son is the one who is closest to actually being classic autistic and when he was born, I hemorrhaged because my body wasn't producing oxytocin on it's own. Because my body had so little, his did as well, and it stands to reason that it may have been that way while he was developing. With my daughter, I was given oxytocin during labor and delivery and she is very obsessive compulsive. The correlation has always seemed to be there with those two of my children. Just a point of interest...