Euphoric but unmotivated?

[TheSir]

Lately I've been battling with a weird dilemma. Physically I'm feeling great. I can just lie down and bask in the warm euphoric glow permeating my body. Yet mentally I just can't seem to experience rewarding stimulation. I lack the creative urge. I pursue my hobbies and without feeling the excitement. While I'm not inclined to procrastinate, I don't find doing things pleasurable either. It's like I'm imprisoned by some euphoric bubble that is separating me from the real world. Is this some kind of high GABA, high serotonin, low dopamine state? Has anyone else experienced a similar thing?

 

[OccamzRazer]

Lately I've been battling with a weird dilemma. Physically I'm feeling great. I can just lie down and bask in the warm euphoric glow permeating my body. Yet mentally I just can't seem to experience rewarding stimulation. I lack the creative urge. I pursue my hobbies and without feeling the excitement. While I'm not inclined to procrastinate, I don't find doing things pleasurable either. Is this some kind of high GABA, high serotonin, low dopamine state? Has anyone else experienced a similar thing?

I've experienced exactly the same type of thing!

For me it happens most often from raw milk, coffee, microdosed psychedelics, and plenty of sun.

I suspect it's an entirely good thing, tho are society's reliance on the almighty dollar makes it most impractical...

Maybe try to help out / serve other people whilst in this state, if your productivity is at risk of taking a hit?

 

[TheSir]

I've experienced exactly the same type of thing!

For me it happens most often from raw milk, coffee, microdosed psychedelics, and plenty of sun.

I suspect it's an entirely good thing, tho are society's reliance on the almighty dollar makes it most impractical...

Maybe try to help out / serve other people whilst in this state, if your productivity is at risk of taking a hit?

All things considered, it definitely isn't an bad state to be in! You are at peace, lacking nothing. Yet don't you find there to persist this itch for some action? My instinct is that rigorous exercise could pair well with this state. I'm almost craving to go out there, run on grass and climb trees until I'm out of breath. Perhaps this means that I'm finally at a state of health at which exercise starts to become more than a mere stressor. So far I've been sustaining myself on brisk walking, but that can hardly provide any challenge any more.

 

[noodlecat]

i know the state you are in! i think the best thing would be to go exercise, or explore.

 

[milkboi]

Lately I've been battling with a weird dilemma. Physically I'm feeling great. I can just lie down and bask in the warm euphoric glow permeating my body. Yet mentally I just can't seem to experience rewarding stimulation. I lack the creative urge. I pursue my hobbies and without feeling the excitement. While I'm not inclined to procrastinate, I don't find doing things pleasurable either. It's like I'm imprisoned by some euphoric bubble that is separating me from the real world. Is this some kind of high GABA, high serotonin, low dopamine state? Has anyone else experienced a similar thing?

Maybe the „kick-in-the-****“ you lack is noradrenaline?

 

[TheSir]

Maybe the „kick-in-the-****“ you lack is noradrenaline?

This crossed my mind too! I recently bought a few pills of methylphenidate, which a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (so like an SSRI but for noradrenaline instead of serotonin) with the aim to figure out if my noradrenaline is too low.

Do you have any idea what would work for fixing chronically low noradrenaline?

 

[Nomane Euger]

Lately I've been battling with a weird dilemma. Physically I'm feeling great. I can just lie down and bask in the warm euphoric glow permeating my body. Yet mentally I just can't seem to experience rewarding stimulation. I lack the creative urge. I pursue my hobbies and without feeling the excitement. While I'm not inclined to procrastinate, I don't find doing things pleasurable either. It's like I'm imprisoned by some euphoric bubble that is separating me from the real world. Is this some kind of high GABA, high serotonin, low dopamine state? Has anyone else experienced a similar thing?

Hi,was it different before,where you more exited and things more pleasurable?did you feel less good at rest,did you change something about your diet and or environnement?do you feel good/great physically while doing nothing,but you found that you have lack of pleasure and/or motivation to do things?

 

[cupofcoffee]

i get the same feeling from coffee! It's truly a dilemma because if i keep this up i'll be an failure (an happy one at that) in some years

 

[Razvan]

Lately I've been battling with a weird dilemma. Physically I'm feeling great. I can just lie down and bask in the warm euphoric glow permeating my body. Yet mentally I just can't seem to experience rewarding stimulation. I lack the creative urge. I pursue my hobbies and without feeling the excitement. While I'm not inclined to procrastinate, I don't find doing things pleasurable either. It's like I'm imprisoned by some euphoric bubble that is separating me from the real world. Is this some kind of high GABA, high serotonin, low dopamine state? Has anyone else experienced a similar thing?

This is high gaba surely, this is similar to how i feel when i take androsterone.
GABA is much more stronger than dopamine, i think GABA is better to have it low, while on high dopamine low gaba ,low serotonin i feel alive,lots of energy and i need to go out, i appreciete sun and the nature and need to do stuff.

 

[stressless]

I wonder if this means that you're coming off of your body running on stress hormones.

Running on adrenaline and cortisol makes me feel motivated and excited about things, I am interested in a million hobbies, get super excited about things, and even start projects (never finish them). But I also feel physically stressed and there's always a depressive crash afterward.

When I turn off the stress, I feel the way you describe it, especially at the beginning. I've always thought that feeling this way is the most representative of who I actually am (without the stress hormones altering my mental state) am feeling unmotivated is related to me not really having a whole lot of purpose in my life. I've noticed that when I'm stressed, I use busy work to feel productive, motivated, and accomplished, but if you were to look at everything I accomplished that day, week, month, year, etc. it really doesn't amount to much that actually truly matters.

I think it might just be me procrastinating (for years) actually putting in the work to find meaningful work.

Just a thought that I've had - I totally have the same experiences you describe, especially as I've become healthier. I don't know the answer, but this is an interesting thread - I'm interested in seeing what others have to say.

On a side note, a while ago I re-framed the idea of happiness. I'd rather be at peace (something that is sustainable over weeks and years) than be happy (which we can only really feel for short periods at a time).

Just my 2c!

 

[Kavie]

This crossed my mind too! I recently bought a few pills of methylphenidate, which a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (so like an SSRI but for noradrenaline instead of serotonin) with the aim to figure out if my noradrenaline is too low.

Do you have any idea what would work for fixing chronically low noradrenaline?

methylphenidate will increase dopamine and the desire to get things done. Maybe just a small 10 mg dose and see.

 

[Christopher R.]

Yes, when I have strong instant coffee with lots of sugar, gelatin and heavy cream, I experience a tired bliss that makes me just want to lie in bed and read stuff on the laptop. There seems to be no point in going out because there's nothing out there that could be better than this.

Maybe it's just a short-term healing phase, where your body puts you into a blissed-out low-energy mood while it heals itself internally. Perhaps alertness and motivation will return when it has done its work.

 

[milkboi]

Maybe it's just a short-term healing phase, where your body puts you into a blissed-out low-energy mood while it heals itself internally.

This is a sentiment which quite a few people believe and "propagate" on here and it didn't do much good for me. "Just eat lots of calorically dense food, the weight gain is temporary, you'll be a stronger, healthier and more beautiful version of yourself once you have healed your metabolism." "Your lack of motivation just shows you don't have the energy available to do stuff, just focus on bettering your health, thyroid and therefore energy levels and everything will work out." I became fat and depressed due to believing this.

My life has become immeasurably better just focusing on outcomes than holistically on my health. Doesn't sound sexy but it's what actually is driving my achievements and I don't feel depressed anymore. I'm doing Keto right now for example and I'm effortlessly losing weight which wasn't the case on a calorie-restricted supposedly healthier high carb high protein diet.

"Peating" has helped me with some things, like with digestion for example (has helped massively in this regard) but it doesn't seem to promote the type of life I want to build.

 

[Nomane Euger]

This is a sentiment which quite a few people believe and "propagate" on here and it didn't do much good for me. "Just eat lots of calorically dense food, the weight gain is temporary, you'll be a stronger, healthier and more beautiful version of yourself once you have healed your metabolism." "Your lack of motivation just shows you don't have the energy available to do stuff, just focus on bettering your health, thyroid and therefore energy levels and everything will work out." I became fat and depressed due to believing this.

My life has become immeasurably better just focusing on outcomes than holistically on my health. Doesn't sound sexy but it's what actually is driving my achievements and I don't feel depressed anymore. I'm doing Keto right now for example and I'm effortlessly losing weight which wasn't the case on a calorie-restricted supposedly healthier high carb high protein diet.

"Peating" has helped me with some things, like with digestion for example (has helped massively in this regard) but it doesn't seem to promote the type of life I want to build.

hi,the highest degree of motivation is not necessary better,you can feel your best physically and mentally while having a lower degree of motivation,i agree my self i dont believe the meme"temporary suffering for the better".my personal experience is that when i experience the highest degree of physical and mental well being(generally after being well fed on very ripe fruits),and sensitivity and appreciability of everything,i dont have the highest degree of motivation,when i start to feel a little bit less good,i get more motivated,motivated specifically to provide my self things that will make me reach back the highest degree of well being such as eating very ripe fruits.on the other hand if you have low motivation and you dont feel great physically and mentally,then there is a problem and indeed low energy mainly.overall motivation on her own doesnt equate well being neither optimal health.wich type of life you aspire to live?

 

[milkboi]

wich type of life you aspire to live?

Being very attractive physically, among the most competent in my area of expertise, having a charismatic and magnetic personality, beautiful wife, happy marriage, beautiful and happy kids, a nice home, wealth

 

[Nomane Euger]

Being very attractive physically, among the most competent in my area of expertise, having a charismatic and magnetic personality, beautiful wife, happy marriage, beautiful and happy kids, a nice home, wealth

okay,"peating"isnt counter productive for that,as long as you eat foodss that make you feel good and you dont force foods and life styles factors that make you feel bad or worst or not better because you follow a theory blindly.if you tend toward the highest degree of "peating",considering that you do things that make you feel good,you can alternate between a state of absolute relaxion and well being,and a state of less intense well being, with intense motivation/exitation.although in the state of absolute relaxion,you tend to not care anymore about being attractive,about being competent,having charisma....Etc all the things you listed,you just care about feeling good and making some other peoples feel good;when you start to feel a bit less good and you start to experience intense motivation,you tend to care more about all the things you aspire to get.

 

[Momado965]

@haidut @Mauritio @charlie @Hans

 

[Mauritio]

That sounds like high GABA / low dopamine.
Too high GABA will noticeably reduce dopamine , and vice versa.
High GABA isnt necessarily a bad thing, but if you feel like it interferes with your quality of life, it should be changed...
Now the boring answer is the same answer as always: work on your metabolism. if you increase thyroid hormone and CO2, you will feel more dopaminergic. But really fixing ones metabolism to the core can take a long time.

In the short term I'd recommend things like phenylalanine, Kratom, bromantane , (phenyl)piracetam and doing some sort of dopamine detox.

 

[Hans]

Lately I've been battling with a weird dilemma. Physically I'm feeling great. I can just lie down and bask in the warm euphoric glow permeating my body. Yet mentally I just can't seem to experience rewarding stimulation. I lack the creative urge. I pursue my hobbies and without feeling the excitement. While I'm not inclined to procrastinate, I don't find doing things pleasurable either. It's like I'm imprisoned by some euphoric bubble that is separating me from the real world. Is this some kind of high GABA, high serotonin, low dopamine state? Has anyone else experienced a similar thing?

It's ok to go through cycles. It happens to most of us. Sometimes we're hyper-creative and productive, other times we're doing lazy and it's fine to chill. If you're feeling euphoric and it's not due to some weird stress, then it's fine.
Low motivation can be due to high GABA and endocannabinoid signaling and low dopamine, histamine and glutamate signaling. Chronic stress usually leads to an unmotivated/low pleasure state.