Maintaining Love Eventually, all couples find that their passion declines over time. For relationships that get beyond the initial stage of passion to have a real chance of lasting, a chemical called oxytocin may be the key. Oxytocin is a hormone our body produces that promotes mutual feelings of connection and bonding It is produced when we hug our long-term husbands and wives or our children. In long- term relationships that work, oxytocin is believed to be abundant in both partners According to Helen Fisher, couples who want their relationships to last should make an effort to keep a close physical relationship. Through frequent physical contact, they can trigger the production of more oxytocin and in this way feel closer to each other.