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euphoria

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Also known as happiness, pleasure, contentment

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 recrea

AI overview

Euphoria is an intense state of pleasure, excitement, and well-being that can be triggered by natural activities like exercise and music, social experiences like dancing and laughter, or romantic and sexual feelings. Understanding euphoria matters because it occurs both as a normal human experience and as a symptom of certain medical conditions or drug use, making it relevant to health, neuroscience, and addiction research.

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Article

25 sections
Contents
  • History {{anchor|History of the term}}
  • Neuropsychology {{anchor|Neural substrates}}
  • Types
  • Exercise-induced
  • Music-induced {{Anchor|Music euphoria}}
  • Sex-induced
  • Drug-induced{{anchor|Euphoriant|Euphoriants}}
  • Stimulants
  • Depressants
  • Opioids
  • Cannabinoids
  • Inhalants
  • Psychedelics
  • Glucocorticoids
  • List of euphoriants by mechanism of action
  • Fasting–induced
  • Neuropsychiatric
  • Mania
  • Epilepsy
  • Migraine
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Gender euphoria
  • See also
  • References
  • External links

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 – i.e., the pleasure centers of the brain – are functionally linked. Activation of one hotspot results in the recruitment of the others. Inhibition of one hotspot results in the blunting of the effects of activating another hotspot. Therefore, the simultaneous activation of every hedonic hotspot within the reward system is believed to be necessary for generating the sensation of an intense euphoria.

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