Euphoria and Anxiety
Euphoria – brief periods of intense happiness or elation; a state of heightened joy, well-being, or satisfaction that significantly exceeds the normal mood fluctuations of normal life; a sudden feeling of intense relief or joy – are common anxiety disorder symptoms.
This article explains the relationship between anxiety and euphoria symptoms, including common symptom descriptions, causes, treatment, and prevalence.
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Euphoria Symptom Descriptions
- Brief periods of intense happiness or elation.
- Suddenly feeling normal or “exceptionally normal” despite having anxiety disorder and hyperstimulation symptoms.
- A state of heightened joy, well-being, or satisfaction that significantly exceeds the normal mood fluctuations of normal life, especially those often associated with anxiety disorder.
- Sudden and brief moments of feeling intense excitement and happiness.
- A sudden and overwhelming feeling of joy.
- A sense of relief as if burdens have been temporarily lifted.
- An inexplicable lightness or sense of freedom.
- An unrealistic sense of optimism or grandiosity.
- A sudden surge of optimism or energy.
This symptom can:
- Occur occasionally or frequently.
- Precede, accompany, or follow an escalation of other anxiety symptoms or occur by itself.
- Precede, accompany, or follow a period of nervousness, anxiety, fear, and stress, or occur "out of the blue" for no reason.
- Range in intensity from mild, to moderate, to intense.
- Comes in a wave where it’s strong one moment and subsides the next.
- Occur for a while, subside, and then return for no reason.
- Change from day to day and moment to moment.
This symptom can involve any subject or topic, as well as people, such as loved ones, friends, co-workers, or strangers, where you suddenly feel an intense sense of love, warmth, and attraction.
All the above combinations and variations are common.
To see if anxiety might be playing a role in your symptoms, rate your level of anxiety using our free one-minute instant results Anxiety Test, Anxiety Disorder Test, or Hyperstimulation Test.
The higher the rating, the more likely anxiety could be contributing to or causing your anxiety symptoms, including feeling like impending doom symptoms.
Causes
Medical Advisory
Talk to your doctor about all new, changing, persistent, and returning symptoms as some medical conditions and medications can cause anxiety-like symptoms.
There can be many causes of episodes of euphoria, such as borderline personality disorder, bipolar, and other mood disorders. When this symptom is solely attributed to anxiety, there can be many causes, as well, such as:
1. Psychological
Anxiety often involves a heightened state of mental and emotional stress. This continuous strain can lead to unexpected psychological reactions, including episodes of euphoria, which may serve several psychological functions:
- As a Release Valve: Prolonged anxiety can create significant emotional pressure. Moments of euphoria may act as a release valve, temporarily relieving constant worry or fear.
- As a Coping Mechanism: In some cases, euphoria can serve as a psychological coping mechanism, allowing an individual to escape from their usual feelings of anxiety or distress. This can be viewed as a form of mental respite that the mind creates to deal with overwhelming situations.
- As a Response to Cognitive Dissonance: When reality does not align with persistent fears and anxiety, the mind might generate a state of euphoria as a way to reconcile this dissonance, creating a temporary feeling of well-being despite the underlying anxiety.
2. Physiological
- The Stress Response: The sudden release of stress hormones into the bloodstream [1][2] can sometimes create a “euphoric, invincible” feeling that overrides the anxiety and fear that triggered it. Also, the sudden increase and decrease in stress hormones, such as after a short but strong panic attack, can sometimes create a short-lived “euphoric, calm” feeling that creates this symptom.
- Hyperstimulation: Hyperstimulation, often referred to as nervous system dysregulation [3][4][5], can cause erratic swings in feel-good neurotransmitters, hormone levels, and homeostasis. These swings can cause increases and decreases in anxiety symptoms, including moments of euphoria.
Chronic hyperstimulation can mute the effects of the stress response, which can lead to a feeling of euphoria instead of the usual angst and stimulation.
- Sleep deprivation: Sleep deprivation can also dramatically affect the Limbic System, responsible for mood and emotional regulation. Just as sleep deprivation can negatively impact mood, it can also positively impact mood. Experiencing a sudden euphoria is a common symptom of sleep deprivation, and how it affects the nervous system, including the Limbic System.
- Medication: Certain medications, especially mood-altering medications, can erratically affect emotions, causing moments of euphoria.
- Recreational drugs: Recreational drugs often cause moments of euphoria. If you are taking recreational drugs while anxious, it’s common to experience moments of euphoria.
3. Dissociation
Some people dissociate when afraid – mentally and emotionally separate themselves from an experience – especially with threats in the high to very high degree range.[6] Dissociation can cause episodes of euphoria.
Dissociation can not only occur during a stress response; it can become a behavioral issue – where a person regularly dissociates from certain thoughts and emotions that arose during a previous traumatic experience – and hyperstimulation.
Chronic dissociation is another cause of moments of euphoria.
Any combination of the above factors can cause and contribute to
4. Other Factors
Other factors can create stress and cause anxiety-like symptoms, as well as aggravate existing anxiety symptoms, including:
Select the relevant link for more information.
Treatment
While this symptom can be temporarily enjoyable, it's a form of emotional dysregulation that can lead to inappropriate reactions to both positive and negative situations. As such, it should be addressed to return to healthy emotional regulation.
When this symptom is caused or aggravated by other factors, sleep deprivation, medication, or recreational drugs, addressing those factors can reduce and eliminate episodes of euphoria.
When this symptom is caused by an active stress response, ending the stress response will end its changes. This symptom should subside as your body recovers from the active stress response.
Keep in mind it can take up to 20 minutes or more for the body to recover from a major stress response. But this is normal and shouldn’t be a cause for concern.
When this symptom is caused by hyperstimulation (chronic stress), reducing and eliminating hyperstimulation will eliminate this symptom.
Faithfully practicing the recovery strategies we explain in Chapter 4 and containing anxious behavior will allow your body to recover from hyperstimulation. As your body recovers, ALL symptoms of hyperstimulation subside, including this one.
Therapy
Unidentified and unaddressed underlying factors cause issues with anxiety. As such, they are the primary reason why anxiety symptoms persist.
Addressing your underlying factors (Level Two recovery) is most important if you want lasting success.
Addressing Level Two recovery can help you:
- Contain anxious behavior.
- Become unafraid of anxiety symptoms and the strong feelings of anxiety.
- End anxiety symptoms.
- Successfully address the underlying factors that so often cause issues with anxiety.
- End what can feel like out-of-control worry.
All our recommended anxiety therapists have had anxiety disorder and overcame it. Their personal experience with anxiety disorder and their Master's Degree and above professional training gives them insight other therapists don't have.
If you want to achieve lasting success over anxiety disorder, any one of our recommended therapists would be a good choice.
Working with an experienced anxiety disorder therapist is the most effective way to treat anxiety disorder, especially if you have persistent symptoms and difficulty containing anxious behavior, such as worry.[7][8][9][10][11]
In many cases, working with an experienced therapist is the only way to overcome stubborn anxiety.
Recovery Support
The Recovery Support area of our website contains thousands of pages of important self-help information to help individuals overcome anxiety disorder, hyperstimulation, and symptoms.
Due to the vast amount of information, including a private Discussion Forum, many of our Recovery Support members consider it their online recovery support group.
FAQ
Can anxiety cause euphoria?
Yes, anxiety can cause episodes of euphoria, sometimes due to psychological reasons, such as a release valve, coping mechanism, or a response to cognitive dissonance, and sometimes by physiological reasons, such as the effects of the stress response and hyperstimulation.
Is anxiety euphoria dangerous?
No, anxiety-caused euphoria isn’t dangerous. However, it is an indication of emotional dysregulation that is common for the stress (acute and chronic) caused by anxiety. Addressing your anxiety and stress issues should eliminate anxiety-caused euphoria in time.
Can anxiety feel like euphoria?
Yes, anxiety can create episodes of euphoria – an intense feeling of relief or joy. While anxiety-caused euphoria isn’t harmful, it is an indication that anxiety might be causing problems with stress. Addressing your anxiety and stress issues will resolve anxiety-caused euphoria in time.
Common Anxiety Symptoms
Additional Resources
- For a comprehensive list of Anxiety Disorders Symptoms Signs, Types, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment.
- Anxiety and panic attacks symptoms can be powerful experiences. Find out what they are and how to stop them.
- How to stop an anxiety attack and panic.
- Free online anxiety tests to screen for anxiety. Two minute tests with instant results. Such as:
- Anxiety 101 is a summarized description of anxiety, anxiety disorder, and how to overcome it.
Return to our anxiety disorders signs and symptoms page.
anxietycentre.com: Information, support, and therapy for anxiety disorder and its symptoms, including Euphoria.
References
1. Yaribeygi, Habib, et al. “The Impact of Stress on Body Function: A Review.” EXCLI Journal, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, 2017.
2. Godoy, Livea, et al. "A Comprehensive Overview on Stress Neurobiology: Basic Concepts and Clinical Implications." Frontiers In Behavioral Neuroscience, 3, July 2018.
3. Elbers, Jorina, et al. "Wired for Threat: Clinical Features of Nervous System Dysregulation in 80 Children." Pediatric Neurology, Dec 2018.
4. Teixeira, Renata Roland, et al. “Chronic Stress Induces a Hyporeactivity of the Autonomic Nervous System in Response to Acute Mental Stressor and Impairs Cognitive Performance in Business Executives.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2015.
5. Marks, David. "Dyshomeostasis, obesity, addiction and chronic stress." Health Psychology Open, Jan 2016.
6. Şar, Vedat. “The Many Faces of Dissociation: Opportunities for Innovative Research in Psychiatry.” Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience, Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Dec. 2014.
7. Hofmann, Stefan G., et al. “The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-Analyses.” Cognitive Therapy and Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Oct. 2012.
8. Leichsenring, Falk. “Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy the Gold Standard for Psychotherapy?” JAMA, American Medical Association, 10 Oct. 2017.
9. Thompson, Ryan Baird, "Psychology at a Distance: Examining the Efficacy of Online Therapy" (2016). University Honors Theses. Paper 285.
10. Kingston, Dawn.“Advantages of E-Therapy Over Conventional Therapy.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 11 Dec. 2017, .
11. DISCLAIMER: Because each body is somewhat chemically unique, and because each person will have a unique mix of symptoms and underlying factors, recovery results may vary. Variances can occur for many reasons, including due to the severity of the condition, the ability of the person to apply the recovery concepts, and the commitment to making behavioral change.