5) My life with oxytocin- Sasha's perspective

Sasha has been enjoying his life with oxytocin.  In the last few weeks, I have been picking his brain about his experiences and feelings about being on oxytocin.  These are excerpts from our conversations together...

Mom: So, what's it been like to be taking oxytocin?  How has it changed your relationship with food?

Sasha: It's been great!  I used to think about food almost all of the time.  I was often hungry or I was thinking about how to get food for when I would be hungry and needed to save it for later.  It was the worst when I was bored with nothing to distract me.  At school I would see other kid's lunch bags and wonder what was inside them.  Sometimes I would be craving a certain food, usually something sweet, and it would be really hard to not think about looking inside the bag for the food I was craving.  Then once I looked inside, it was too hard to resist and I would often take something, even if it wasn't the food I was craving.  Sometimes it also felt like I wouldn't think- I would just see some food and if I had the chance, I would just take it.

Mom:  You mean, if there was an opportunity, you would just grab it?  Even if you weren't hungry?

Sasha:  Well. usually I was hungry.  Or I knew I would be hungry later.

Mom:   Well, how is it now with the oxytocin?

Sasha:  I don't think about food all of the time anymore.  I also feel full faster and don't even feel like I need to finish all of my food anymore.  It's weird!

Mom: Tell me about whether it's changed your desires to sneak food.

Sasha:  Well, you know that cabinet in our house with the looser lock?  Once I figured out it was loose and that I could get the cabinet open about one inch, I used to wake up every morning to see if I could get some food out of the cabinet.

Mom:  Every morning?  For how long were you doing this?

Sasha:  I don't know- maybe a few weeks?  I also used to try it whenever I had a few minutes alone in the house when you were picking up M (Sasha's sister) from her friend's house.

Mom:  And now?

Sasha:  I haven't even thought about doing it for the last two weeks.  In fact, I forgot all about it until you asked me just now about sneaking food!

Mom:  Tell me about your feelings about cooking now.  I notice you still really enjoy cooking.  I enjoy it more now since you've been on oxytocin!  It's a lot less stressful for me to be around you in the kitchen.

Sasha:  I know.  I still like cooking but it's different, too.  Cooking used to be all about trying to sneak extra food.  Before I liked cooking but I also knew that cooking would give me the chance to sneak some extra food!  Now, I still like it but it's more about just making something good to eat to share with other people.

Mom:  Have there been other changes, besides how it's affected your relationship with food, since you've been on the lower dose of oxytocin?

Sasha:  Yes, I have noticed that I feel more like hanging around other kids.  I used to just want to hang out by myself or with my aide at lunch time.  I noticed at the drawing camp that I wanted to hang out with kids instead of just by myself.

Mom:  Wait, you noticed it at the drawing camp?  The first camp of summer, the one that started on June 13?

Sasha:  Yes.  I definitely noticed it.

Mom:  So, this change happened before we noticed the appetite changes? Interesting!

And so it goes... I will be writing more about my observations of the changes on his social functioning soon and how it has impacted MY social functioning at parties!  A hint of a preview:  We have been going to social events during this long 4th of July weekend and we have seen a real difference with his ability to enjoy the company and activities, not only the food!