Oxytocin in the media: the cuddle hormone or love hormone. But how can a hormone bring about cuddling, induce love, happiness or maternal attachment and social interactions? And does it really do all that?
Does dopamine make you happy, and is methylphenidate (Ritalin) addictive?
Dopamine the happiness hormone? Not at all! Dopamine helps to choose where to direct your attention. This process does not work properly in children and adults with ADHD. Methylphenidate (Ritalin) corrects this without having an addictive effect.
The placebo effect doesn’t exist
Depression lifts with placebo pills, joint pain disappears after a placebo operation. Changes in the brain can be observed after the use of a placebo. How do such effects of sham treatment come about? Placebos do have effects. But THE placebo effect does not exist.
