There are many types of addictions out there in the world. Most people immediately think of drugs when they hear the word "addiction." Believe it or not, you can become addicted to something as simple as cuddling. That's right, cuddling. When you snuggle up to your significant other all day, you just might be setting yourself up for a new addiction that you didn't know you could get.
With that said, there are not as many dangers to becoming addicted to cuddling as there are for becoming addicted to drugs. The chemistry of cuddling involves a chemical called oxytocin. Oxytocin is responsible for making you feel good when you're with your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife or whatever the case may be. It is commonly referred to as the "love hormone" in layman's terms.
Alexandra Ossola explained in a Modern Notion article that the chemical "inspires feelings of connectedness and closeness" in most cases.
Oxytocin is released during a cuddle session due to the skin-to-skin contact. That's why you feel closer to someone when you hold their hand or give them a hug. When you spend a lot of time cuddling, your body becomes adjusted to the inflated amount of oxytocin in your system. It would make sense why someone might feel alone or a little bit down if they're experiencing "cuddle withdrawal" because they're actually experiencing symptoms of oxytocin withdrawal. Just like a drug, the body is trying to get it's fix of oxytocin and can't get it because of the lack of cuddling.
Generally speaking, this doesn't become very extreme in the vast majority of cases. You might get a little sad and miss your cuddle buddy but you'll probably see them sooner than you think and you'll be back to cuddling in no time. It would take a lot of oxytocin released into your body to make you physically dependent on cuddling.
But the next time you seem all down in the dumps because you're missing your special someone, you can tell whoever asks that you're simply suffering from a case of cuddle withdrawal.
