Euphoric Recall

What is Euphoric Recall?

Euphoric recall is a term used in addiction treatment for remembering the pleasurable parts of substance use while giving less attention to its harmful consequences.

How it can affect a decision

Someone may recall the pleasure of using a substance while giving little weight to the withdrawal, hangover or relationship problems that followed. The harm has not necessarily disappeared from memory. It may simply carry less weight in the version of the experience that comes to mind.

SAMHSA's Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorders (2021) discusses euphoric recall as a risk factor for returning to stimulant use. A selective recollection can make using again seem more attractive than a fuller recollection would.

What the term describes

This is a useful clinical description of where attention goes in remembering an experience. It does not require false memories or literal amnesia for harm, and it is not established as one uniform memory bias shared by everyone with an addiction.