Euphoria: Difference between revisions
(Created page with "{{Header|Euphoria 04/25}} {{cat-psych|Euphoria}} Euphoria is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness.[1][2] Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and dancing, can induce a state of euphoria.[3][4] Euphoria is also a symptom of certain neurological or neuropsychiatric disorders, such as mania.[5] Romantic love and components of the human...") |
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{{Header|Euphoria 04/25}} | {{Header|Euphoria 04/25}} | ||
{{cat-psych|Euphoria}} | {{cat-psych|Euphoria}} | ||
Euphoria is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. | '''Euphoria''' is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and dancing, can induce a state of euphoria. Euphoria is also a symptom of certain neurological or neuropsychiatric disorders, such as mania. Romantic love and components of the human sexual response cycle are also associated with the induction of euphoria. Certain drugs, many of which are addictive, can cause euphoria, which at least partially motivates their recreational use. | ||
Hedonic hotspots – | Hedonic hotspots – our brain's pleasure centers – are interconnected. Activating one hotspot triggers the others, while inhibiting a hotspot dampens the effects of activating another. Thus, it is thought that for a powerful euphoria to occur, the simultaneous activation of all hedonic hotspots in the reward system is essential. | ||
== Types of euphoria == | |||
Many different types of stimuli can induce euphoria, including psychoactive drugs, natural rewards, and social activities. Affective disorders such as unipolar mania or bipolar disorder can involve euphoria as a symptom. | |||
=== Exercise-induced === | |||
Continuous exercise can produce a transient state of euphoria – an emotional state that involves the experience of pleasure along with feelings of profound contentment, elation, and well-being – which is colloquially known as a "runner's high" in distance running or a "rower's high" in rowing. Not everyone experiences this. | |||
=== Music-induced === | |||
Euphoria may manifest as a consequence of engaging in dance to music, the creation of music, and the act of listening to music that elicits emotional responses. Neuroimaging studies have provided evidence that the reward system is integral to mediating the pleasure derived from music. Pleasurable music that evokes emotional reactions significantly enhances dopamine neurotransmission within the dopaminergic pathways that project to the striatum, specifically the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal pathways. Approximately 5% of the population encounters a phenomenon known as "musical anhedonia, " wherein individuals fail to experience pleasure from listening to emotionally stimulating music, despite possessing the capacity to perceive the intended emotion conveyed through musical passages. | |||
A January 2019 clinical study examined the influence of a dopamine precursor (levodopa), a dopamine antagonist (risperidone), and a placebo on individuals' reward responses to music. This included assessing the level of pleasure experienced during musical chills through changes in electrodermal activity and subjective ratings. The study concluded that modifications in dopamine neurotransmission bidirectionally influence pleasure cognition, particularly regarding the hedonic effects of music, in human subjects. It indicates that increased dopamine neurotransmission is essential for experiencing pleasurable hedonic reactions to music. | |||
=== Sex-induced === | |||
The different stages of [[copulation]] can also be seen as eliciting euphoria in certain individuals. Various analysts have characterized either the full sexual act, the moments before orgasm, or the orgasm itself as the height of human pleasure or euphoria. | |||
=== Drug-induced === | |||
A high dose of methamphetamine leads to a state of drug-induced euphoria. | |||
Euphoriants are psychoactive substances that typically produce feelings of euphoria. The majority of euphoriants are addictive because of their reinforcing effects and their capacity to activate the brain's reward system. | |||
=== Stimulants === | |||
Dopaminergic stimulants like amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, and methylphenidate are euphoriants. Nicotine is a parasympathetic stimulant that acts as a mild euphoriant in some people. Xanthines, such as caffeine and theobromine, may also be considered mild euphorics by some. | |||
Chewing areca nut, derived from the Areca catechu palm, along with slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), is a widespread practice throughout South and Southeast Asia that leads to stimulant effects and feelings of euphoria. The primary psychoactive components – arecoline, which is a partial agonist of muscarinic receptors, and arecaidine, which acts as a GABA reuptake inhibitor – are what induce the euphoric sensations. | |||
=== Depressants === | |||
Certain depressants have the potential to induce euphoria; among the substances classified within this category are alcohol when consumed in moderate quantities, γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), and ketamine. | |||
Certain barbiturates and benzodiazepines may also elicit euphoria. The euphoric effects are influenced by factors such as the speed of onset of the drug, the increasing dosage administered, and the method of administration, particularly intravenous. Barbiturates that are more likely to induce euphoria include amobarbital, secobarbital, and pentobarbital. Benzodiazepines more frequently associated with euphoria are flunitrazepam, alprazolam, and clonazepam. Additionally, benzodiazepines tend to amplify the euphoric effects induced by opioids. | |||
Pregabalin can provoke dose-dependent euphoria. Although this effect occurs in only a small percentage of individuals at the recommended dosages, the incidence increases with supratherapeutic doses or via intravenous or nasal administration. Reports indicate that at dosages five times the maximum recommended amount, intense euphoria may be experienced. Gabapentin, another GABA analogue, has also been noted to potentially induce euphoria, characterized as being opioid-like but less intense; this effect may manifest at supratherapeutic doses or in conjunction with other substances, such as opioids or alcohol. Furthermore, ethosuximide and perampanel have been observed to produce euphoria at therapeutic doses. | |||
=== Opioids === | |||
μ-Opioid receptor agonists are a group of euphoriants[5], including substances like heroin, morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and fentanyl. In contrast, κ-opioid receptor agonists, such as the endogenous neuropeptide dynorphin, are recognized for inducing dysphoria, a mood that reflects profound discontent and is the opposite of euphoria. | |||
=== Cannabinoids === | |||
Cannabinoid receptor 1 agonists are a group of euphoriants that includes certain plant-based cannabinoids (e.g., THC from the cannabis plant), endogenous cannabinoids (e.g., anandamide), and synthetic cannabinoids. | |||
=== Inhalants=== | |||
Certain gases, like nitrous oxide (N2O, aka "laughing gas"), can induce euphoria when inhaled. | |||
=== Psychedelics === | |||
Traditional psychedelic drugs, such as LSD and psilocybin, are capable of inducing euphoria despite lacking addictive qualities. The Global Drug Survey has revealed that out of 22,000 participant reports, MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin mushrooms were ranked most positively on the Net Pleasure Index of all recreational drugs included in the study. | |||
=== Glucocorticoids === | |||
Acute exogenous glucocorticoid administration is known to produce euphoria, but this effect is not observed with long-term exposure. | |||
== Neuropsychiatri ==c | |||
=== Mania === | |||
Euphoria is also strongly associated with both hypomania and mania, mental states characterized by a pathological heightening of mood, which may be either euphoric or irritable, in addition to other symptoms, such as pressured speech, flight of ideas, and grandiosity. | |||
Although hypomania and mania are syndromes with multiple etiologies (that is, ones that may arise from any number of conditions), they are most commonly seen in bipolar disorder, a psychiatric illness characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression. | |||
=== Epilepsy === | |||
Euphoria may manifest during seizure auras, typically originating in the temporal lobe while impacting the anterior insular cortex. This state of euphoria is indicative of a rare syndrome known as ecstatic seizures, which frequently encompasses mystical experiences. Additionally, euphoria- more commonly referred to as dysphoria- may arise during intervals between epileptic seizures. This phenomenon, termed interictal dysphoric disorder, is classified as an atypical affective disorder. Individuals experiencing depressive or anxious feelings in the periods preceding or following seizures may intermittently encounter euphoria thereafter. | |||
=== Migraine === | |||
Some individuals feel euphoria during the prodrome phase – hours or days before a migraine headache begins. Likewise, a euphoric state can also arise in specific individuals after the migraine episode. | |||
=== Multiple sclerosis === | |||
Euphoria can sometimes occur in individuals with multiple sclerosis as the illness progresses. This euphoria is part of a syndrome called initially euphoria sclerotica, which typically includes disinhibition and other symptoms of cognitive and behavioral dysfunction. | |||
=== Gender euphoria === | |||
Gender euphoria refers to the satisfaction or enjoyment experienced by an individual when there is congruence between their gender identity and the gendered characteristics associated with a gender distinct from the sex assigned to them at birth. This phenomenon is regarded as the affirmative counterpart to gender dysphoria. Additionally, related instances of euphoria have been documented in research concerning the alignment between sexual identity and social recognition, such as the provision of support within educational institutions for individuals identifying as lesbian or gay, alongside experiences surrounding intersex variations and their corresponding diagnoses, examples of which include the diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia that elucidates certain physical differences. | |||
{{sa|Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions}} | {{sa|Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions}} | ||
Revision as of 22:26, 19 April 2025
Euphoria is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and dancing, can induce a state of euphoria. Euphoria is also a symptom of certain neurological or neuropsychiatric disorders, such as mania. Romantic love and components of the human sexual response cycle are also associated with the induction of euphoria. Certain drugs, many of which are addictive, can cause euphoria, which at least partially motivates their recreational use.
Hedonic hotspots – our brain's pleasure centers – are interconnected. Activating one hotspot triggers the others, while inhibiting a hotspot dampens the effects of activating another. Thus, it is thought that for a powerful euphoria to occur, the simultaneous activation of all hedonic hotspots in the reward system is essential.
Types of euphoria
Many different types of stimuli can induce euphoria, including psychoactive drugs, natural rewards, and social activities. Affective disorders such as unipolar mania or bipolar disorder can involve euphoria as a symptom.
Exercise-induced
Continuous exercise can produce a transient state of euphoria – an emotional state that involves the experience of pleasure along with feelings of profound contentment, elation, and well-being – which is colloquially known as a "runner's high" in distance running or a "rower's high" in rowing. Not everyone experiences this.
Music-induced
Euphoria may manifest as a consequence of engaging in dance to music, the creation of music, and the act of listening to music that elicits emotional responses. Neuroimaging studies have provided evidence that the reward system is integral to mediating the pleasure derived from music. Pleasurable music that evokes emotional reactions significantly enhances dopamine neurotransmission within the dopaminergic pathways that project to the striatum, specifically the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal pathways. Approximately 5% of the population encounters a phenomenon known as "musical anhedonia, " wherein individuals fail to experience pleasure from listening to emotionally stimulating music, despite possessing the capacity to perceive the intended emotion conveyed through musical passages.
A January 2019 clinical study examined the influence of a dopamine precursor (levodopa), a dopamine antagonist (risperidone), and a placebo on individuals' reward responses to music. This included assessing the level of pleasure experienced during musical chills through changes in electrodermal activity and subjective ratings. The study concluded that modifications in dopamine neurotransmission bidirectionally influence pleasure cognition, particularly regarding the hedonic effects of music, in human subjects. It indicates that increased dopamine neurotransmission is essential for experiencing pleasurable hedonic reactions to music.
Sex-induced
The different stages of copulation can also be seen as eliciting euphoria in certain individuals. Various analysts have characterized either the full sexual act, the moments before orgasm, or the orgasm itself as the height of human pleasure or euphoria.
Drug-induced
A high dose of methamphetamine leads to a state of drug-induced euphoria.
Euphoriants are psychoactive substances that typically produce feelings of euphoria. The majority of euphoriants are addictive because of their reinforcing effects and their capacity to activate the brain's reward system.
Stimulants
Dopaminergic stimulants like amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, and methylphenidate are euphoriants. Nicotine is a parasympathetic stimulant that acts as a mild euphoriant in some people. Xanthines, such as caffeine and theobromine, may also be considered mild euphorics by some.
Chewing areca nut, derived from the Areca catechu palm, along with slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), is a widespread practice throughout South and Southeast Asia that leads to stimulant effects and feelings of euphoria. The primary psychoactive components – arecoline, which is a partial agonist of muscarinic receptors, and arecaidine, which acts as a GABA reuptake inhibitor – are what induce the euphoric sensations.
Depressants
Certain depressants have the potential to induce euphoria; among the substances classified within this category are alcohol when consumed in moderate quantities, γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), and ketamine.
Certain barbiturates and benzodiazepines may also elicit euphoria. The euphoric effects are influenced by factors such as the speed of onset of the drug, the increasing dosage administered, and the method of administration, particularly intravenous. Barbiturates that are more likely to induce euphoria include amobarbital, secobarbital, and pentobarbital. Benzodiazepines more frequently associated with euphoria are flunitrazepam, alprazolam, and clonazepam. Additionally, benzodiazepines tend to amplify the euphoric effects induced by opioids.
Pregabalin can provoke dose-dependent euphoria. Although this effect occurs in only a small percentage of individuals at the recommended dosages, the incidence increases with supratherapeutic doses or via intravenous or nasal administration. Reports indicate that at dosages five times the maximum recommended amount, intense euphoria may be experienced. Gabapentin, another GABA analogue, has also been noted to potentially induce euphoria, characterized as being opioid-like but less intense; this effect may manifest at supratherapeutic doses or in conjunction with other substances, such as opioids or alcohol. Furthermore, ethosuximide and perampanel have been observed to produce euphoria at therapeutic doses.
Opioids
μ-Opioid receptor agonists are a group of euphoriants[5], including substances like heroin, morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and fentanyl. In contrast, κ-opioid receptor agonists, such as the endogenous neuropeptide dynorphin, are recognized for inducing dysphoria, a mood that reflects profound discontent and is the opposite of euphoria.
Cannabinoids
Cannabinoid receptor 1 agonists are a group of euphoriants that includes certain plant-based cannabinoids (e.g., THC from the cannabis plant), endogenous cannabinoids (e.g., anandamide), and synthetic cannabinoids.
Inhalants
Certain gases, like nitrous oxide (N2O, aka "laughing gas"), can induce euphoria when inhaled.
Psychedelics
Traditional psychedelic drugs, such as LSD and psilocybin, are capable of inducing euphoria despite lacking addictive qualities. The Global Drug Survey has revealed that out of 22,000 participant reports, MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin mushrooms were ranked most positively on the Net Pleasure Index of all recreational drugs included in the study.
Glucocorticoids
Acute exogenous glucocorticoid administration is known to produce euphoria, but this effect is not observed with long-term exposure.
== Neuropsychiatri ==c
Mania
Euphoria is also strongly associated with both hypomania and mania, mental states characterized by a pathological heightening of mood, which may be either euphoric or irritable, in addition to other symptoms, such as pressured speech, flight of ideas, and grandiosity.
Although hypomania and mania are syndromes with multiple etiologies (that is, ones that may arise from any number of conditions), they are most commonly seen in bipolar disorder, a psychiatric illness characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression.
Epilepsy
Euphoria may manifest during seizure auras, typically originating in the temporal lobe while impacting the anterior insular cortex. This state of euphoria is indicative of a rare syndrome known as ecstatic seizures, which frequently encompasses mystical experiences. Additionally, euphoria- more commonly referred to as dysphoria- may arise during intervals between epileptic seizures. This phenomenon, termed interictal dysphoric disorder, is classified as an atypical affective disorder. Individuals experiencing depressive or anxious feelings in the periods preceding or following seizures may intermittently encounter euphoria thereafter.
Migraine
Some individuals feel euphoria during the prodrome phase – hours or days before a migraine headache begins. Likewise, a euphoric state can also arise in specific individuals after the migraine episode.
Multiple sclerosis
Euphoria can sometimes occur in individuals with multiple sclerosis as the illness progresses. This euphoria is part of a syndrome called initially euphoria sclerotica, which typically includes disinhibition and other symptoms of cognitive and behavioral dysfunction.
Gender euphoria
Gender euphoria refers to the satisfaction or enjoyment experienced by an individual when there is congruence between their gender identity and the gendered characteristics associated with a gender distinct from the sex assigned to them at birth. This phenomenon is regarded as the affirmative counterpart to gender dysphoria. Additionally, related instances of euphoria have been documented in research concerning the alignment between sexual identity and social recognition, such as the provision of support within educational institutions for individuals identifying as lesbian or gay, alongside experiences surrounding intersex variations and their corresponding diagnoses, examples of which include the diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia that elucidates certain physical differences.
See also [ Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions ]
External links
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Euphoria ]
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