Euphoria is a joyful, elevated mood that gives the individual a feeling of well-being and contentment, which often does not correspond to objective circumstances. In people in a state of euphoria, an optimistic assessment of the entire surrounding reality predominates, and the opposite state - affect - is inaccessible to them.
Euphoria is combined with an accelerated flow of thoughts, marked by imaginative fantasizing, unproductive but active activity, slowness of mental processes, disinhibition of drives, lethargy, passivity, and lack of motivation.
Elevated mood can occur under the influence of small doses of alcohol, morphine, other psychostimulants and drugs. Oxygen starvation (altitude sickness) and severe somatic diseases can also provoke this feeling. This unhealthy condition can be a manifestation of organic brain damage (progressive paralysis) and can be combined with signs of dementia (oligophrenia).
Causes of euphoria
Medicine considers this condition as an unhealthy manifestation that occurs after toxic brain damage, drug intoxication, etc. A person can get into this state after psychological or physical trauma, but not for long.
Euphoria is a symptom of various mental illnesses and is pronounced in affective disorder and manic syndrome.
Causes of euphoria: damage to the frontal lobes of the brain (trauma, mental retardation, oxygen deficiency, severe intoxication); mental illness (hyperthymic psychopathy, manic-depressive psychosis); use of psychoactive substances (psychedelics, drugs, alcohol, sleeping pills); terminal conditions (the final stage of tuberculosis - agony or recovery after severe illness).
Symptoms
Being a strong emotional state, euphoria manifests itself in the form of positive emotions and is always marked by complacency, elevated mood, a state of bliss, delight, and happiness. A distinctive feature from hyperthymia is low motor activity, inhibition, slowing down of intellectual processes and a complete absence of problems.
In this emotional state, everything around you is seen through rose-colored glasses and there is impenetrable optimism, and tragic life moments are perceived with extreme joy. The feeling of euphoria is marked by altered consciousness, accompanied by a decrease or significant increase in reflex, motor, and mental processes.
This state gives a feeling of supreme happiness, complete satisfaction, which cannot be constantly achieved in natural conditions, since there are always irritants. This state is characterized by a joyful mood; a person in euphoria is absolutely satisfied with everything, serene and calm. Euphoria of happiness manifests itself in a feeling of all-consuming delight and joy.
Stimulant overdose
Cocaine overdose
As a result of an overdose of cocaine, against a background of feelings of anxiety and fear, a mania of persecution arises, expressed in the feeling and accusation on the part of the patient of those around him of a conspiracy or desire to deliberately cause him harm. This is also characterized by tactile hallucinations, manifested in pseudo-sensations of “insects crawling” on the skin (Magnana symptom) and so-called auditory acoasms - elementary auditory hallucinations in the form of individual sounds (noise, bells, exclamations, etc.). Thinking changes towards an unusual interest in everything around him, the patient looks closely at everything or listens. Movements of body parts, facial expressions and behavior become stereotypical, for example, patients may suddenly begin to put together objects that are different in content and incompatible.
Somatic and neurological disorders become extremely complex and manifest themselves, for example, in the form of cardiac arrhythmia or seizures. There is a serious risk of sudden cardiac arrest or respiratory depression, resulting in death.
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Overdose of pervitin, ephedrone
As a result of an overdose of pervitin or ephedron, perception disorders occur, manifested in the form of depersonalization (a person’s inadequate perception of his personality, his “I”) and derealization (inadequate perception of the world around him as unreal or remote). Following these symptoms, hallucinations (tactile, visual or auditory) also begin to appear. Somatic disorders include dry mucous membranes, pale complexion, a significant increase in blood pressure and arrhythmias in the form of extrasystole.
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Amphetamine overdose
As a rule, the clinical picture of an overdose of amphetamines is presented in the form of delusions of attitude (the patient thinks that everything around concerns only him) and persecution mania, which determines his behavior in this state. Auditory hallucinations are mostly absent; if they appear, it is only in the form of individual elements (bells, beeps or knocks, or one’s own name). The most characteristic somatic manifestations are severe cardiac arrhythmias.
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Musical euphoria
This state is achieved when a musical composition is based on a pleasant rhythm and also has repetition of small sections of melodies. With musical euphoria, listeners fall into a trance state and demonstrate a joyful, as well as pathologically complacent mood. Examples include the Beatles. The guys from the Beatles are not only talented musicians who were able to find the key to the hearts of millions of listeners, but also a successful experiment by sociologists in changing consciousness, which has no analogues in history.
Science believes that everything in the world is a number, a sign and a measure. Material bodies are subject to the laws of resonance and vibration. These resonances and vibrations can be harmonic as well as destructive. It follows from this that the popularity of the Beatles was artificially created by American and English sociologists.
Euphoria and depression
A depressive reaction, being the main cause, leads a person to seek help from a therapist and is the main complaint. The depressive reaction itself is part of a cycle, drawing the curve either down or up. In many cases, the depressive reaction is preceded by euphoria, and its collapse plunges the individual into depression. If we want to understand the depressive reaction, then we must understand the phenomenon of euphoria.
The signs of euphoria are easily recognizable. An individual in a euphoric state is hyperactive, speaks quickly, and is full of various ideas. Personal self-esteem is conspicuous, and the development of this condition leads to the development of mania.
Euphoria is only a lesser degree of depressive reaction. The ego of an individual who is in euphoria is so overexcited, as if it is taking part in a miraculous, unusual event that will fulfill secret dreams. This reaction is comparable to the reaction of a child who has been separated from his mother and now awaits her return with incredible excitement. For a baby, the return of his mother and her love is his most cherished desire. Mother's love embodies the fulfillment of all the needs of the child. The return of the mother gives a motivational energy surge that ends in euphoria.
Often, a person in a euphoric state is unable to realize the dynamics of his reaction, and also unconsciously perceives people as motherly figures who should care for, love and even feed him. People will initially be interested in him, but as it grows, his condition will begin to irritate people, and they will recoil from him.
There is no guarantee that people will satisfy his unconscious hopes, so over time the person will feel rejected. Self-confidence and self-esteem that accompany euphoria dissolve, and depression sets in, and with it the collapse of illusions.
The energy charge that overstimulates the peripheral structures of the body recedes, and the omnipotent ego turns into powerless. The lack of volitional efforts of an individual oppressed by depression leads to the fact that the person is unable to mobilize himself.
People suffering from depressive conditions have not satisfied the following needs: support, experience of physical contact, attention and approval, love and care. Unmet needs are reflected in a person’s inability to be alone, talkativeness, fear of separation, bragging, and dependent behavior (addiction). This means that a person who did not receive unconditional love in childhood will be constantly subject to cyclical mood swings: euphoria will be replaced by depression. Psychologists warn patients that euphoria carries with it the danger of approaching depression.
Psychiatrists attribute euphoria to a painful increase in emotional background, as well as a decrease in critical perception of reality. It can occur with increased motor and facial activity or, conversely, with deep retardation. It all depends on the reason that causes it.
Euphoria in case of morphine poisoning proceeds stunnedly, and in manic-depressive psychosis it proceeds violently. Such a warning to people always helps, because it brings a certain amount of reality into the patients’ thinking, softening and inhibiting sudden mood swings, and with the onset of depression it is no longer so destructive.
In a euphoric state, a person always thinks that everything will be fine, but good will not happen if hidden problems are not eliminated.
A person, falling from the heights of this state into depression, feels that all his illusions are crumbling, and there is no way out of depression. A healthy person does not experience sudden changes in mood from euphoria to depression. He is able to experience excitement due to any event, as well as prospects that will give a powerful energy flow. A person in this state will feel joy, pleasure, but will not feel euphoria. If the event, as well as the prospect, disappointed him, then he will be sad, but at the same time will not fall into the clutches of depression. A healthy person does not lose the ability to adapt to a new situation.
Acute intoxication, stimulant intoxication
Acute intoxication due to the use of stimulants occurs stereotypically for each type of stimulant drug. Intoxication, as a rule, has four phases of development. The table below shows the characteristics of these phases using the example of injection ephedrone.
It should be noted that the clinical picture of drug intoxication when using stimulants is not uniform; it can change and be supplemented by related symptoms, depending on the substance being abused.
So, from the moment of using cocaine, a person’s thinking proceeds without delay or inhibition, and therefore is often characterized by “lightness of thoughts,” the direction of which completely depends on the environment. If the use occurs in private, a person’s reasoning changes with kaleidoscopic frequency in the form of memories of episodes from the past or fantasies about the future.
In intoxicated cocaine addicts, as a rule, auditory sensations are especially aggravated, which gives them a special brightness and reality. In this state, they feel in excellent physical shape, capable of any challenge and achieving high athletic results. Some of these sensations are indeed justified by their condition, but most of them are the result of a subjective change in perception and consciousness due to drug use.
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Phasicity during intoxication with CNS stimulants (table)
| Phase | Main manifestations and symptoms |
| Phase I | Development occurs rapidly and is presented in the form of disorders of consciousness. Main symptoms: feeling of insight, impaired ability of external perception; Against the background of euphoric sensations, a violation of the muscular-articular sense - proprio sensitivity - occurs, which is expressed in the form of a feeling of lightness, flight with short-term deafness. |
| II phase | Occurs, as a rule, with oral administration. The main symptoms are presented in the form of a narrowing of consciousness with various physiological sensations: maintaining a feeling of lightness, flight (attempts to jump to take off may be observed), the appearance of various pleasant sensations, both in the middle of the body and outside; wave-like sensations of pleasant warmth may occur, moving throughout the body; physiological bliss in the abdomen (epigastric region), a deceptive sensation of hair growth and a subjectively pleasant shiver. Attention is focused on emotional experiences with complete indifference to others. Drug addicts themselves describe the level of euphoric sensations as a “whole body orgasm.” |
| III phase | It begins with a sharpening of attention to the environment, but the narrowing of perception continues. Everything that happens around is perceived as in sympathicotonia: objects seem bright, saturated, attention is sharpened to little things, which are perceived as clearer and more contrasting. All this happens against a background of heightened mood, complacency with obsessive attacks of partiality and love for all living things. In a state of intoxication, a significant surge of strength and increased vitality are felt. An uncontrollable desire for creative work may arise: intoxicated people may begin to draw, play musical instruments, demonstrate extraordinary knowledge in various fields of science, build theories and propose solutions to complex philosophical dilemmas. There is an uncontrollable desire to communicate, people can run, fuss and “talk” quickly. Their verbosity has a pronounced superficial character with unclear associations, fragmentation and persistence, bordering on arrogance (perseveration) and confusion of associations, in one subject. Sexual desire and potency increase sharply with an increased level of sexuality. |
| IV phase | The last, “initial” phase of intoxication begins with the restoration of the volume of consciousness, clarity of perception gradually returns to normal. The level of pleasant, complacent sensations decreases. Euphoria subsides, changing to a feeling of depression, increased irritability, and a desire to be alone. Against the background of a lowered threshold of perception, the impressions no longer bring pleasure, they seem excessive and not worth attention. Against the background of hypersensitivity of almost all sense organs, a painful reaction to sounds (hyperacusis) and light (especially photophobia in the daytime) is observed. Attacks of senestopathy may occur, manifesting as vague uncomfortable sensations in different parts of the body: “pins and needles”, fever, tremors and uncontrollable muscle reflexes. Shallow sleep may occur. There is emptiness, lethargy, drowsiness without falling asleep. |
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The state of euphoria from the use of stimulants
Euphoria when using stimulants occurs due to the specific effect of the corresponding drug on the mucous membrane due to inhalation, injection or oral administration. If we take the strength of drug intoxication from ephedrine as a unit, then the intensity of action of the most common stimulants will be:
- ephedrine - 1;
- gracidin - 1.7;
- amphetamines (benzedrine, phenamine) - 5;
- pervitin - 10;
- cocaine - 2-10 (depending on quality).
The doses required to obtain high euphoric sensations are individual for each person. The duration of drug intoxication depends entirely on the type and method of drug use. Often, drug addicts experience an increased sense of time (an hour may seem like a blink to them). For example, intoxication from amphetamines lasts up to 3 hours, cocaine - 1.5 and ephedrone - 4.5 hours. After leaving the state of intoxication, symptoms of somatic and mental weakness can be observed for several more days, and the normalization of sleep continues for several more days, as does appetite, sexual desire (libido) and potency.
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Drug euphoria
How to explain that young people use drugs? This is an attempt to escape the depressive feelings that young people hide inside themselves. This is the only way to explain despair and the desire to fly high so as not to feel reality.
Drug euphoria makes it possible to fly high, away from sad, despondent feelings. Young people should not be blamed for this, since they see no other way out. Unfortunately, there is no drug that will help forever, and after the high that it brings, there is always a fall and psychological dependence, which is as destructive in its power as physiological dependence. Therefore, our salvation is the understanding and acceptance of such falls, which create solid ground for the perception of our sensations.
Euphoria from marijuana occurs in the form of apathy, which feels like depression. Some people note that the sensations are reminiscent of an exciting journey that gives them an upbeat mood. Everything is individual. Some people, desperate, try to forever remain at the height of their sensations. These include heavy drug addicts. They try to get their buzz at any cost.
Get everything
The difference in the effect of these hormones is that dopamine creates a feeling of joy when you find something you need, while endorphin creates pain-relieving sensations such as ease and oblivion.
This is how everything was competently created and planned: I achieved my goal - get the dopamine candy; you hurt your knee - endorphins are already blowing into your wound. But here the question arises: “How can you get candy without effort, or experience feelings of euphoria without injury?”
The state of euphoria can be achieved in different ways. Conventionally, they can be divided into two groups:
- natural;
- artificial.
Alcohol euphoria
After drinking a glass of wine, you can feel inexplicable enthusiasm and joy, an improvement in your mood. This occurs due to two processes that occur in the body. A sharp increase in the amount of morphine-like substances in the blood and brain, as well as increased synthesis of dopamine (an enzyme that is responsible for energy, mood, vascular tone, and performance).
Alcoholic euphoria is associated with hypoxia (oxygen starvation). Hypoxia occurs when blood vessels in the brain become clogged and the delivery of oxygen to brain cells through the blood stops.
Alcoholic euphoria is no different from manic, drug or euphoric states. A person who drinks obviously also needs a remedy that can pull him out of despondency and depression. It is clear that not everyone who drinks is trying to avoid depression, but if there is a need to drink, then this is a bad sign. In this case, the reference is to a person who needs alcohol to “take off.” After the alcoholic high, there comes a fall - a hangover, while the mood decreases and becomes depressed. If a person cannot cope with depression on his own, the need to take alcohol arises.
A fall from a drug high is different from an alcoholic one. The narcotic effects of drugs last longer than those of drinking alcohol. A person may not feel depressed after taking drugs, since the drug blocks feelings much more strongly than alcohol.
Abuse without addiction
Dependence on stimulants develops very rapidly, and in terms of speed of development it is second only to opium addiction. The development of physical and mental dependence becomes most intense when taking pervitin by injection, which almost immediately causes the appearance of a compulsive desire to use it.
The development of dependence on amphetamines is somewhat similar to the development of alcoholism, characterized by long-term episodicity, which is reminiscent of the “binge” episodes of alcoholics.
Addiction develops in two types: “weekend use”, which lasts 1-2 days a week with complete abstinence from drugs during the remaining working days, or “Swedish cycle”, in which use occurs over several days, several times a day, as a rule, at intervals of 2-4 hours. During this “marathon”, drug addicts do not sleep all the time and refuse to eat.
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