kortisol. kortisol itu semacam hormon steroid yang diproduksi didalam korteks kelenjar adrenal.

kortisol berperan dalam mengatur tekanan darah, fungsi jantung, penggunaan lemak tubuh, protein dan karbohidrat. kortisol juga terlibat dalam metabolisme glukosa, pelepasan insulin, pemeliharaan gula darah, dan respons inflamasi. kortisol membantu dalam menanggapi dan mengatasi ekstrem stres, trauma, dan lingkungan. kortisol juga sering disebut hormon stres. saat jatuh cinta kortisol akan mengalami peningkatan. itu sebabnya ketika jatuh cinta, orang biasanya mempunyai tingkat stres yang tinggi, tingkat respon/kesigapan yang tinggi, tetapi mengesampingkan rasa sakit/menurunnya sensivitas terhadap rasa sakit. sebaliknya ketika seseorang sedang patah hati, kadar kortisol dalam tubuh akan mengalami penurunan. akibatnya seseorang tersebut dapat stres berkepanjangan. dopamin. dopamin adalah neurotransmitter (cairan kimia penyampai pesan sel saraf) yang disebut sebagai pemberi sensasi kenikmatan. hal ini karena biasanya dopamin keluar dan aktif saat tubuh dalam keadaan senang. saat jatuh cinta, kadar dopamin dalam tubuh akan mengingkat dan aktif. itu sebabnya, orang yang sedang jatuh cinta akan mengalami peningkatan kesenangan yang tinggi, memiliki motivasi yang tinggi dan mengalami penurunan tingkat kesedihan. namun kekurangan dopamin akan menyebabkan penyakit parkinson. oksitosin. oksitosin itu hormon yang juga bertindak sebagai neurotransmitter di otak. oksitosin biasanya dihasilkan pada saat dua manusia saling berpegangan tangan, saling menyentuh, atau pada saling berhubungan intim. oksitosin dikeluarkan oleh kelenjar hipofisis yang ada di otak. secara umum, oksitosin mempunyai fungsi dalam

pengendalian gairah seksual, sistem kordinasi,memfasilitasikelahiran bayi, memberikan rasa kepercayaan diri dan mengurangi rasa takut, mempengaruhi kemurahan hati dengan meningkatkan empati, meningkatkan perasaan cinta dan koneksi kepada orang lain. vasopresin. vasopresin juga merupakan golongan neurotransmitter. vasopresin berperan besar dalam hal peningkatan gaiarah seksual, pengingkatan daya tarik fisik, dan penurunan rasa gelisah. makanya, pada saat jatuh cinta tubuh seseorang akan mengalami peningkatan kadar vasopresin yang akhirnya membuat zat kimia yang satu ini menguasi tubuhnya. adrenalin. adrenalin merupakan hormon yang diproduksi oleh kelenjar adrenal. fungsi utama hormon ini adalah merangsang denyut jantung dan melebarkan saluran udara. adrenalin secara alami diproduksi saat tubuh berada dalam situasi stres tinggi atau saat fisik berada dalam kondisi yang menyenangkan. efek yang terjadi saat jatuh cinta adalah naiknya kadar andrenalin. itu sebabnya saat jatuh cinta seseorang akan mengalami rasa termotivasi, penurunan rasa takut dan memiliki rasa senang yang tinggi feniletilamin feniletilamin (phenylethylamine=PEA) mrupakan golongan alkaloid termasuk neurotransmitter. zat kimia yang satu ini berperan besar dalam menciptakan perasan positif. tak hanya ditemukan secara alami didalam tubuh, feniletilamin juga bisa ditemukan pada makanan contohnya coklat. karena fungsi feniletilamin inilah. mungkin orang yang sedang jatuh cinta sering memberi coklat.

Orgasme melibatkan interaksi yang kompleks antara 3 sistem tubuh yaitu sistem vaskular (pembuluh darah), sistem saraf dan sistem endokrin (yang berhubungan dengan berbagai hormon dalam tubuh). Para ahli mengungkapkan ada sejumlah bahan kimia seksual yang bisa mempengaruhi pikiran dan tubuh selama dan setelah berhubungan seks, berikut ini beberapa hormon yang terlibat seperti dikutip dari Askmen, Senin (14/11/2011) yaitu: 1. Prolaktin Prolaktin meningkat tajam segera setelah orgasme dan menurunkan gairah seksual setelahnya. Kondisi ini yang memungkinkan seseorang untuk memikirkan hal-hal lain selain perempuan telanjang yang ada di depannya. Jika seseorang kembali memikirkan tugas-tugas atau kegiatan lain setelah seks maka hal ini kerja dari prolaktin. 2. Oksitosin Hormon ini dikeluarkan oleh kelenjar hipofisis yang merangsang prostat dan menyebabkan kontraksi otot serta sensitivitas saraf. Oksitosin yang meningkat akan menghasilkan orgasme yang lebih intens. 3. Endorfin Endorfin dilepaskan oleh otak saat berhubungan seks yang mengikat situs reseptor opiat di otak untuk menghilangkan rasa sakit secara alami. Hormon ini menghasilkan perasaan euforia, kesenangan dan efek menenangkan sehingga bisa membuat orang tertidur. Ada yang berpendapat semakin cepat tidur maka semakin baik hubungan seks yang dilakukan. 4. Adrenalin Adrenalin mengaktifkan sistem saraf simpatik yang meningkatkan denyut jantung dan melebarkan arteri untuk meningkatkan aliran darah ke otot selama seks. Selama hubungan seksual, peningkatan jumlah adrenalin dilepaskan dari kelenjar adrenal yang memicu rasa gembira. 5. Phenylethylamine Phenylethylamine memicu pelepasan dopamin di pusat kesenangan otak. Bahan kimia ini dilepaskan selama seks dan pucak orgasme sehingga bisa membuat seseorang diliputi perasaan bahagia, daya tarik dan gairah. 6. Testosteron Testosteron adalah bahan bakar untuk dorongan seksual dan agresi yang merupakan hal penting untuk libido dan gairah seksual. Untuk itu baik laki-laki maupun perempuan yang kekurangan testosteron seringkali mengalami kesulitan mendapatkan rangsangan dan gairah seks yang lebih rendah. 7. Serotonin Serotonin berfungsi mengatur suasana hati. Setelah orgasme tubuh akan melepaskan serotonin ke otak yang bertindak sebagai anti depresan, yang lalu membuat orang lebih ceria dan emosional yang seimbang.

Healing with Sexual Energy

THE NEUROCHEMISTRY OF SEX

By Walter Last Orgasm is generally regarded as the ultimate goal of recreational sex. Wilhelm Reich was the first scientist to describe the nature and purpose of the orgasm as a discharge of excess bio-energy with the additional liberation of feeling energy, and he also recognized the negative consequences of blocked sexual energies. Unfortunately, in addition to exciting peaks, orgasms tend to produce powerful negative side-effects that are only now becoming better understood. This is due to predictable trends in hormonal activity which seem to be similar in all mammals to ensure certain evolutionary objectives, especially the wide mixing of gene pools and the safe raising of offspring. This is achieved with the following neurochemical changes. The main players are dopamine, the reward hormone; prolactin, the hormone of satiation; oxytocin, the cuddle hormone, and levels of androgen receptors, which all powerfully affect our mood, our desire for intimacy, our perception of our mate, as well as our susceptibility to addictive activities and substances. These hormones can also have different but generally related functions. Additionally the stimulant phenylethylamine (PEA) is involved, which is also present in cocoa and chocolate and elevates energy, mood and attention. PEA is produced in greater amounts when one is in love; conversely a deficiency (common in manic-depressives) causes unhappy feelings. When we first fall in love we become bonded by rising PEA, oxytocin and dopamine levels When we are sexually aroused by close contact our dopamine level rises further and at the time of orgasm we have a dopamine brainstorm which one researcher compared to the effects of heroin on the brain. Dopamine is active in all addictions, even in

people who have forgotten what sex is. Most of this activity is in the limbic system, the oldest part of the brain. Dopamine Levels
Excess Addictions Anxiety Addictions Depression Deficient

Motivate

Feelings satisfact

Compulsions

Anhedonia - no pleasure, world looks colorless Lack of ambition and drive Inability to "love Low libido Erectile dysfunction No remorse about personal behavior ADD/ADHD Social anxiety disorder Antisocial behavior

Pleasure accompl Healthy

Sexual fetishes Sexual addiction Unhealthy risk-taking Gambling Compulsive activities

Good fee Healthy Healthy

Sound c

Aggression Psychosis Schizophrenia

Realistic

Materna

(From http://www.reuniting.info/science/sex_and_addiction)

After orgasm dopamine levels fall sharply with the usual

withdrawal symptoms. This reaction tends to be immediate in males and delayed in females. Also prolactin levels rise, and androgen receptors fall after orgasm. Low testosterone is associated with irritability and anger. In sexually-satiated rats it has been shown that serotonin and endorphin levels also rise, and this also decreases dopamine and raises prolactin levels. Oxytocin levels fall after conventional orgasm but remaining in close contact may help to counter this drop and sustain oxytocin levels. Behavioral changes from this disturbed hormone equilibrium have been noticed for up to two weeks. During this time we may be more irritable, dissatisfied, anxious or depressed, and instead of seeing the good side of our mate, we may now be painfully aware of his or her shortcomings. This is exactly the same process and length of time prolactin levels need to recover during withdrawal from cocaine. Symptoms associated with excess Prolactin

Women Men Loss of libido Loss of libido Mood changes / depression Mood changes / depressio Hostility, anxiety Impotence Headache Headache Menopausal symptoms, even when estrogen is Infertility sufficient Signs of increased testosterone levels Decreased testosterone le Weight gain Weight gain Intercourse may become painful because of vaginal dryness (From http://www.reuniting.info/science/sex_and_addiction)

Initially, during the honeymoon period of our relationship, we remain strongly bonded by high oxytocin levels, and quickly overcome our hormonal blues by having more sex. Initially sex stimulates us to crave for more sex. This leads to rapid rises and falls in dopamine levels and corresponding rapid emotional fluctuations in our

relationship. Later we become less and less interested in sex with our partner (perhaps because we subconsciously begin to associate him or her with the lows of the cycle, or perhaps because we grow tired of being used as a fix, and therefore feel less attraction), and now we try to prop up our dopamine level by becoming addicted to some kind of food or drug, or by becoming interested in a new sexual partner. Basically this type of behavior is the same for humans, primates, mammals and reptiles because it originates from the primitive part of our brain. Further evidence of a lasting post-orgasm hangover comes from sexually exhausted male rats. The number of androgen receptors in the hypothalamus declines, reducing the effectiveness of testosterone and changing sexual behavior. These changes last for about seven days, corresponding to a lack of libido of the rats. In addition to serving as a sexual brake, prolactin also affects our moods and behavior somewhat like a hormone of resignation. For example caged wild monkeys initially had high levels of the stress hormone cortisol but gradually prolactin levels rose as they became resigned to their fate. Prolactin levels were highest after seven months. With raised prolactin levels they do not mate, which looks like the same effect that we see in long-term relationships without close oxytocin-producing bonding. The Coolidge-Effect In experiments with rats it has been observed that after vigorous copulation with a new partner, male rats soon completely ignore this partner, but when a new female is introduced, they immediately are revitalized - at least sufficiently to become sexually active once more. This can be repeated again and again until the male rat is completely exhausted.

This phenomenon has been ca American president. On a visit a rooster who could copulate w day. She liked that idea and as know about this. After hearing i moment and asked: Does he d Sir answered the farmer. Plea the president (http://www.reuni Not only has the Coolidge effe animals, but also in females. Fe more and present themselves m new males than in the presence already sex. President and Mrs. Coolidge Another experiment indicates that the cause of this effect may be a rush of dopamine. When rats were taught to pull a lever to stimulate their own reward center, they would forgo eating and copulating, and just continue to stimulate themselves until they were totally exhausted. The Cuddle Hormone The dopamine system is obviously designed to produce genetic variety by inducing us to mate with as many different partners as possible. There is, however, a hormone that counteracts the emotional rollercoaster effects of dopamine, and that is oxytocin, the cuddlehormone. Oxytocin also counteracts fear, which is associated with high cortisol levels and stress, see chart below. Oxytocin leads to strong pair-bonding. In pair-bonded animals mating, and with this the dopamine rollercoaster, stops with the rise of prolactin after successful fertilization, and now oxytocin ensures that both parents cooperate for the survival of their offspring. Humans could do the same, mate only to produce offspring and then abstain from sex. This might produce an emotionally stable relationship for life, but most of us would also find it utterly boring. Paramahansa Yogananda wrote this is exactly what his parents did (Autobiography of a Yogi).

The Benefits of Oxytocin

Fear - Cortisol Love - Oxytocin Aggression Anti-stress hormone Arousal, Anxiety, Feeling stressed-out Feeling calm and connect Activates addictions Lessens cravings & addic Suppresses libido Increases sexual receptiv Associated with depression Positive feelings Can be toxic to brain cells Facilitates learning Breaks down muscles, bones and joints Repairs, heals and restore Weakens immune system Faster wound healing Increases pain Diminishes sense of pain Clogs arteries, Promotes heart disease and high Lowers blood pressure, P blood pressure disease Obesity, Diabetes, Osteoporosis (From http://www.reuniting.info/science/sex_and_addiction)

The time-honored solution to this problem is loving sex without orgasm. This greatly helps to sustain oxytocin levels without producing emotionally disruptive high-low neurochemical cycles of orgasm, and it has been practiced in Indian Tantra, by the Chinese Taoists, and apparently by early Christians. In modern times it has been resurrected as Karezza, White Tantra and various forms of spiritual sex. It heals and holds relationships together rather than driving them apart as frequent orgasmic sex seems to do although, as we will see later, it is also possible to have bonding orgasmic sex. For a wealth of articles on the hormonal aspects of our sexuality see http://www.reuniting.info/science.