Unfortunately, in depression, the oxytocin system is out of sorts. Some studies say that people with depression have more oxytocin, and other studies say they have less. While this seems paradoxical, oxytocin levels influence—and are influenced by—different subtypes of depression,4 reflecting the idea that each individual’s specific neural circuits interact to create a unique instance of depression. So while the studies aren’t exactly clear, the easiest way to understand it is to say that the whole oxytocin system is just out of whack. The proper biological term is dysregulated. In depression,
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