According to scientists, a chemical released in the brain during sex and other social interactions could be turned into a cure for shyness, autism, depression and anxiety. The feel-good chemical, called oxytocin, has long been used by doctors for other uses including inducing labor and stimulating milk production in new mothers.

Oxytocin promotes romantic feels, makes people more socialable, and helps mothers bond with their babies. Researchers however, wonder if it might also be able to treat a wide range of personality disorders.

There are currently several researchers studying the affects of oxytocin on different disorders.

Dr. Eric Hollander, a leading autism expert from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, has found that giving oxytocin to autistic adults improves their ability to recognize emotions in a person's tone of voice. This is something they usually find very difficult to do.

An intravenous infusion of oxytocin, he has found, triggers improvements that last for up to two weeks. Previous autism research revealed that autistic children have lower than normal levels of oxytocin in their bloodstreams.

Dr. Markus Heinrichs of the University of Zurich, another autism researcher, is studying the use of oxytocin as a therapy for social phobia, an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme self-consciousness.