How Euphoria Improves Mental Health - Anchor Therapy, LLC (2023)

Euphoria is an innovative series that reflects on the life of adolescents in today's society. It places special emphasis on analyzing the mental health of the characters in the series with a variety of situations that affect their mental health. It's reaching such a huge audience that it even caused HBO to black out watching the first episode of the second season.

**SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN EUPHORIA SEASON 1 AND THE FIRST 3 EPISODES OF SEASON 2**

Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with psychotherapists who specialize in helping children, adolescents, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, and life transitions. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now offering in-person and telemedicine (video/phone) sessions to residents of New Jersey and New York.

Euphoria brings to light numerous issues in today's society, including substance abuse, domestic violence, sexual identities, anxiety, depression, and complicated relationships. It features raw and provocative scenes to break with society's tendency to use overly positive language instead of realistic dialogue when it comes to mental health issues. Euphoria highlights how the younger generations are now more exposed to traumatic events at such young ages.

Traumatic events are events that can have lasting effects on a person's mental health. That can lead to thisPost Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), that many of the characters live with euphoria.

PTSD symptoms include:

Rue's mental health:

The main character, Rue, faces many struggles throughout the series. She is recovering from a drug addiction that caused her to overdose. Rue was able to sober up for a while, but recently relapsed. The show gives us an insight into what goes through her mind when she encounters various stressful situations. The theme that keeps coming up in her situation is that she doesn't care about her life or desire to be alive. Rue experienced a variety of traumas at a young age, including the death of her father and being prescribed many medications for mental disorders. These situations caused her to grow up faster than she should and ignited her fight against drug addiction. The traumatic events she faced shaped who she became and how she viewed the world. She could no longer be optimistic in her current state of mind.

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Nate's Mental Health:

Nate Jacobs is the antagonist throughout the series. Nate is a very aggressive and manipulative character in almost every relationship portrayed of him. He is first introduced to us through his relationship with Maddy, which turns extremely toxic in the first season. Nate is known for severely assaulting a man and then making the victim confess to a crime he didn't commit, stalking and harassing other characters, and being physically harmful.

We learn that this behavior developed from a young age due to problems with his father. We learn that Mr. Jacobs, Nate's father, is secretly recording himself having sex with various men that Nate discovered at a very young age. This trauma causes him to engage in negative behaviors toward authority figures, people he sees as potential "threats," and women. In other words, his relationship with his father profoundly influenced the way he acts and sees the world, while infusing him with narcissistic traits. In many scenes it is clear that Mr. Jacobs's personality is reflected in his son. Nate is also under pressure to hide all of his father's secrets from the community and even from his mother. This puts Nate under tremendous stress, leading to his abusive behavior towards the women in his life, such as his ex-girlfriend Maddy. Nate is also a master manipulator in many cases, which is particularly evident in the new season.

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Cassie's Mental Health:

Cassie Howard is another character who suffers from mental health issues and trauma of her own that Nate uses to his advantage. Her father abandoned her when she was a child due to her drug addiction, giving her false hope that she would return. Also, all the men in her life abused her, but she felt that she loved them all. She also made an important decision in her life and miscarried at the end of the last season. Under the influence of alcohol, she Cassie said, "I keep making mistakes and I don't learn from them" while she was talking to Nate, which she enthused him about. The two have sex, though she previously dated Cassie's best friend, Maddy. Due to this incident, Cassie goes through a state of depression due to guilt and feelings of being a "bad person", but she still looks to Nate for the love and attention she wants. He reciprocates, but also says to Cassie, "How are you going to look Maddy in the eye again?" her while she intimates. She also told him that if Maddy found out about her, she would kill Cassie. This statement shows her manipulative nature because he knows that Cassie will think the situation is his fault, but he doesn't have the strength to leave her. Instead, she makes her more dependent on Nate. Cassie is dependent on Nate for many reasons. Cassie not only doesn't want Maddy to find out about her relationship with Nate, but she also feels too guilty to reconcile with her ex-boyfriend and she doesn't have a stable home life. All of this causes a lot of stress for Cassie, which makes her obsessed with her new relationship with Nate.

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Fez Mental Health:

Another prominent character on the show is Fez, a friend of Rue's who sells drugs. He and Rue have a close relationship, though Rue struggles with her addiction to her drugs. Fez was raised by his grandmother, who was also involved in criminal activities. Fez has a younger brother named Ash, who followed in the family's footsteps as a drug dealer.

The series shows how Fez was exposed to this lifestyle at a young age and explains why he chose this path. Fez is the main guardian of his little brother, so he is under pressure to keep the family afloat financially. Fez and Ash had to grow up early because their parents were not responsible or active in their lives. When Nate causes trouble for Rue and her friends, Fez assumes the role of "big brother" to protect her. When the situation doesn't go as Fez planned and Nate continues to harass his friends, Fez becomes violent towards Nate, nearly beating him to death. From his traumatic and violent upbringing, Fez only knows violence to solve problems.

All of these characters have different backgrounds and unique issues they face, but viewers connect with the characters and their struggles. This show is intended for an adult audience due to its sexual language and imagery, but it goes a long way in removing the stigma surrounding mental health by providing an open platform for discussion. The show is eye-opening for viewers and allows fans to see parts of themselves in the characters on the show. As a society, we know that some children are exposed to trauma from a very young age. The show does a great job of showing how a person's mental health can be affected by childhood experiences and offers childhood flashbacks for the characters. By making these characters identify, Euphoria makes audiences feel connected and reminds them that they are not alone with their mental health issues.

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FAQs

What mental health is in euphoria? ›

Euphoria's Ties to Mental Illness

Euphoria's main character, Rue (played by Zendaya) is alluded to as suffering from bipolar disorder, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Throughout the show, the audience hears Rue's thoughts, putting us closer to the character's lived experience.

How does therapy help mental health? ›

It helps build self-esteem, reduce anxiety, strengthen coping mechanisms, and improve social and community functioning. Supportive psychotherapy helps patients deal with issues related to their mental health conditions which in turn affect the rest of their lives.

How will counseling help you get through with your problems? ›

Counseling helps people to:

Identify negative or illogical thinking patterns that contribute to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, and to develop a more positive outlook. Explore learned thoughts and behaviors that create or maintain problems. Regain a sense of control and pleasure in life.

Why should we seek help from a professional counselor? ›

Professional counselors help clients identify goals and potential solutions to problems which cause emotional turmoil; seek to improve communication and coping skills; strengthen self-esteem; and promote behavior change and optimal mental health.

What are important topics in Euphoria? ›

“Euphoria” stars Zendaya and an ensemble cast featuring rising stars like Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi and Alexa Demie. The show has gained both acclaim and notoriety for its gritty portrayals of topics like drug addiction, sexuality and mental illness in a high school setting.

What social issues does Euphoria have? ›

The show became increasingly popular after the first season due to its depiction of dark problems in adolescence and social issues such as substance abuse, trauma, anxiety, mental illness and more. “I think it portrays addiction in a really accurate way,” said Jen McLaughlin, Honors and Scholars Program coordinator.

What are 3 benefits of therapy? ›

5 Long-Term Benefits of Therapy
  • Therapy can help you learn life-long coping skills. ...
  • Therapy can change how you interact with people in your life – in a good way. ...
  • Therapy can make you feel happier. ...
  • Through its link to happiness, therapy leads to more productivity. ...
  • Therapy can help improve chronic stress.
Jan 31, 2020

How can therapy benefit the most? ›

12 Therapy Tips For Getting the Most Out of Sessions
  1. Take Care of Business First. ...
  2. Bring ALL Your Emotions. ...
  3. Stay Focused on YOU. ...
  4. Find the Right Therapist. ...
  5. Try to Connect With Your Therapist. ...
  6. Do Routine Check-Ins. ...
  7. Don't Stay in a Bad Relationship. ...
  8. Look For Themes and Patterns.
Jun 16, 2020

What are the 5 types of therapy? ›

Approaches to psychotherapy fall into five broad categories:
  • Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapies. ...
  • Behavior therapy. ...
  • Cognitive therapy. ...
  • Humanistic therapy. ...
  • Integrative or holistic therapy.

How does counseling empower you? ›

Talking to a professional counsellor can help people to deal with strong emotions, sort through confusion or worry, plan ways of making positive life changes, and feel understood and supported. Counselling can provide the support to help people to feel empowered in their lives.

What is difference between counselling and therapy? ›

Counselling is a talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to you and helping you find ways to deal with emotional issues. Sometimes the term "counselling" is used to refer to talking therapies in general, but counselling is also a type of therapy in its own right.

Is there a difference between therapy and counseling? ›

Broadly speaking, counseling tends to be focused on one specific issue and considered a short-term treatment. You may learn coping techniques and problem-solve the issue together. Psychotherapy tends to treat a broader range of issues and more complex problems. It can be a long-term treatment.

What are the 3 types of counseling? ›

So, what are the three main types of counseling? Psychodynamic, humanistic, and behavioral approaches are the most common and each support different individual therapies.

What are three roles of a counselor? ›

Their duties include listening to patients, developing treatment plans, and creating coping strategies.

What are 5 reasons why people should seek therapy? ›

This list includes an overview of some of the most common reasons why people seek therapy.
  • Addiction. ...
  • Anxiety and stress. ...
  • Confidence, self-esteem, and support. ...
  • Depression. ...
  • Grief and loss. ...
  • Illnesses. ...
  • Phobias. ...
  • Relationship issues.
Nov 24, 2020

What lesson does Euphoria teach? ›

The most important takeaway any parent of a teen can get from 'Euphoria' is that addiction is a real, complex, deeply ingrained behavioral health disorder. It is not simply choosing to get drunk or high all the time and it definitely isn't something that will just go away.

What is Euphoria trying to tell us? ›

Euphoria—the most tweeted-about TV show of the decade in the U.S.—has thrust teenage drug use into the cultural spotlight. The HBO show follows 17-year-old Rue Bennett, a sweet but troubled teen played by Zendaya, as she navigates a deepening drug use disorder.

What is the moral story of Euphoria? ›

Euphoria really teaches teens that no matter what you look like, you need to be confident. The show highlights the issues addiction brings in, and how easily you can slip back into your old habits. Rue's character in the show portrays a drug addict who would go to any extent not to be found drugs in her system.

Why is Euphoria so influential? ›

The show has since created quite the buzz because of its controversial nature and daring creative decisions. Euphoria focuses on several different characters' personal lives, most of them navigating American high school and struggling with various traumatic events. One of the characters is an underage cam-girl.

How does Euphoria reflect society? ›

'Euphoria,' a show that discusses serious issues like drug use, self-harm, assault, domestic violence and other serious matters, reflects Generation Z's experience with these difficulties. It all comes down to how social media affects our state of mental health.

What are the effects of Euphoria? ›

Intoxication. Euphoria, increased energy, overconfidence, increased pulse, increased blood pressure, elevated temperature, elevated BMR, dilated pupils, and peripheral vasoconstriction occur.

What are the five most common goals of therapy? ›

Common Goals To Achieve In Therapy
  • #1. Confront Your Fears In A Safe Environment.
  • #2. Get An Objective Perspective.
  • #3. Develop Healthier Life Habits.
  • #4. Get Relief From Stress.
  • #5. Work On Overcoming Challenges.

What is the most important thing in therapy? ›

The most important aspect of effective therapy is that the patient and the therapist work together to help the patient reach their goals in therapy. Q. Some therapists consistently produce better outcomes than others, regardless of treatment and patient characteristics.

What type of therapy is the most beneficial? ›

Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, can help those with mental disorders or emotional difficulties. It can lessen symptoms and help individuals function better in their everyday lives. This kind of therapy is often used in combination with medication or other therapies.

Does therapy improve quality of life? ›

The goal of individual therapy is to inspire change and improve the quality of life through self-awareness and self-exploration. Being in therapy can also: help improve communication skills. help you feel empowered.

Can therapy improve your life? ›

As you progress in therapy, you find that you're less anxious, sad or angry; more confident; and better able to cope with setbacks. Most importantly, you begin to accept yourself. “When we're self-accepting, we're in better spirits, more flexible and more resilient,” he says.

Does therapy make you a better person? ›

Therapy can make someone a happier, bolder, more self-righteous feeling person. But it can't make them a good one. It takes a rich web of community support — and people who will challenge you because they love you — to do that.

What is the best therapy for anxiety? ›

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective form of psychotherapy for anxiety disorders. Generally a short-term treatment, CBT focuses on teaching you specific skills to improve your symptoms and gradually return to the activities you've avoided because of anxiety.

What therapy is best for trauma? ›

Here are the top treatments for trauma-related concerns.
  1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) ...
  2. Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) ...
  3. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) ...
  4. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) ...
  5. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) ...
  6. BONUS: Medication.

How do you empower clients in mental health? ›

Empowerment can be developed by:
  1. being respectful and non-judgemental.
  2. building a relationship where the person feels comfortable to discuss their feelings and what they want.
  3. focussing on strengths and abilities.
  4. supporting and encouraging involvement in decision making.

How do you help a client feel empowered? ›

Five Ways to Empower Your Client
  1. Complete a comprehensive assessment to create goals that are appropriate and attainable. ...
  2. Tell your client, “You can do it,” and believe it yourself. ...
  3. Empower your client's family. ...
  4. Teach your client a new skill that will change their life (e.g. cooking, etc). ...
  5. Don't give up.
Jan 16, 2014

What motivates you to be a counselor? ›

The most rewarding part of being a counsellor is knowing that you had a part in affecting the life of another human being. Giving hope when people feel hopeless. Inspiring others to be all that they are capable of being, so that they can go out into the world and pay it forward by helping others.

Is a therapist higher than a counselor? ›

Therapists work to help their patients address similar issues, and often provide the same advice that counselors might. However, a key difference is that therapists often seek to go deeper by helping the patient understand the how and why behind a challenge.

Is it better to see a counselor or therapist? ›

Counseling can be more goal oriented at its core. It is best suited for patients who want to address an immediate problem or specific challenges, like improving their relationships, overcoming addiction, or coping with grief. Therapy tends to have a greater emphasis on exploring the root of the problem.

Is a therapist better than a psychologist? ›

Psychologists can do research, which is a very important contribution academically and clinically, to the profession. A therapist is a broader umbrella term for professionals who are trained—and often licensed—to provide a variety of treatments and rehabilitation for people.

Do therapists go to therapy too? ›

"It is highly recommended that therapists go to therapy at some point because they need to stay connected to their client's experience. They need to be able to empathize with their clients and what it feels like to regularly share your feelings and be vulnerable with another person," Trillow explains.

Can a counselor be called a therapist? ›

The terms “counselor” and “therapist” are often used interchangeably. But these two types of professionals aren't technically the same. The differences come down to education, training, and licensing standards. Overall, both counselors and therapists help clients work through their mental health and life challenges.

Can anyone call themself a therapist or a counsellor? ›

The answer to the question posed in the BBC's podcast, can anyone call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist, is yes.

What are the three C's in counseling? ›

There Are Three C's in Counseling: Caring, Challenge, Commitment.

What are the 5 stages to a counseling session? ›

The basic stages of counseling are: 1) Developing the client/clinician relationship; 2) Clarifying and assessing the presenting problem or situation; 3) Identifying and setting counseling or treatment goals; 4) Designing and implementing interventions; and 5) Planning, termination, and follow-up.

What are the 4 principles of counselling? ›

The fundamental principles of counseling include autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and fidelity.

What's higher than a counselor? ›

Psychologists possess the highest level of education and only see specific cases in their field of expertise. These professionals may also adopt a specific theoretical orientation such as cognitive behavioral therapy or psychoanalysis to treat their patients.

What type of person should be a counselor? ›

The Personality Type Best Suited for a Counseling Career

Research has shown that effective counselors fit one specific personality type: Introvertive, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging (INFJ). This research concluded that counselors tend to be quiet and reserved and enjoy learning through observation.

What type of person becomes a counselor? ›

Great counselors are:
  • Accepting. As a counselor, you will listen to painful confessions and personal details from your clients. ...
  • Warm. First impressions matter. ...
  • Empathetic. Empathy is one of the most important traits a counselor can have. ...
  • Trustworthy. ...
  • Self-Aware. ...
  • Clear. ...
  • Patient. ...
  • Committed.
Oct 22, 2015

How do you know if therapy is working? ›

6 signs therapy is working
  • You start to feel better. ...
  • You feel like your therapist gets you. ...
  • You don't dread your sessions (maybe you even look forward to them!) ...
  • You feel like the wool has been pulled from your eyes. ...
  • You're doing more of the good stuff. ...
  • Maybe things get worse for a bit.
Apr 4, 2019

How often should you go to therapy? ›

Therapy has been found to be most productive when incorporated into a client's lifestyle for approximately 12-16 sessions, most typically delivered in once weekly sessions for 45 minutes each. For most folks that turns out to be about 3-4 months of once weekly sessions.

What mental illness does Cassie have in euphoria? ›

A person can't technically be diagnosed with BPD until they are at least 18 years old, and other issues like complicated grief, as opposed to a personality disorder could be at play with Cassie, but Dr. Mills says the character would indeed fit the diagnostic criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder.

Does Rue have BPD in euphoria? ›

Rue suffers from ADHD, bipolar, general anxiety, depression, and BPD – and rather than romanticising her trauma, creator Sam Levinson shows Rue's days stretching out ahead of her: a monotonous Sisyphean struggle with her own psyche.

Does Cassie in euphoria have BPD? ›

Sweeney's Cassie is never displaying the same level of emotion as those around her unless it's rage — uncontrollable outbursts of anger being another criteria of BPD. In every scene, she's either displaying a significantly higher level of emotion than others or she is fully shut down, dissociating.

What mood disorder does Rue have? ›

Levinson's own struggles inform his depiction of Rue, who also has bipolar disorder, as is addressed in the penultimate episode of the season.

What trauma did Cassie go through? ›

Her childhood was twisted with her parents' divorce, sexual advances from family members, parents plagued with substance abuse and lastly, a mother who attaches Cassie's worth to her looks and relationships with men. She's cursed with falling in love with any man who looks her way and the urge to feel loved.

Who is the psychopath in euphoria? ›

Unlike other TV jocks, Nate's power trips come with layers of unresolved trauma. His calculating nature also sets him apart from the average 'roidy football player. He's not just aggressive; he's psychopathic. The first episode showed Nate flipping out in a fit of anger after seeing his ex-girlfriend with another man.

Does Cassie have borderline personality? ›

Sweeney's Cassie is never displaying the same level of emotion as those around her unless it's rage — uncontrollable outbursts of anger being another criteria of BPD. In every scene, she's either displaying a significantly higher level of emotion than others or she is fully shut down, dissociating.

What mental illness does Maddy have? ›

Right away, we learn that she has struggled with mental illness throughout her childhood, and was constantly medicated as a child to alleviate the symptoms. It is alluded to that she suffers from bipolar disorder, anxiety, as well as OCD.

What personality type is Rue Bennett? ›

Rue Bennett – ISTP. Rue is an unhealthy ISTP who seems hell-bent on her own destruction. Like most unhealthy ISTPs, she appears aloof, detached, and non-committal. Though she has deep feelings for Jules, she often keeps them inside until she reaches a breaking point.

Is Maddy toxic Euphoria? ›

Maddy contributes to the toxicity of the relationship as well by emotionally manipulating Nate throughout the first season. She confidently wields emotional blackmail by threatening to publicly release private tapes.

What is splitting BPD? ›

Splitting is a psychological mechanism which allows the person to tolerate difficult and overwhelming emotions by seeing someone as either good or bad, idealised or devalued. This makes it easier to manage the emotions that they are feeling, which on the surface seem to be contradictory.

What personality does Cassie have? ›

Cassie is sweet, sympathetic and sentimental. She is popular and attractive, which unfortunately comes at a cost for the character. Cassie often receives the short end of the stick, always having to deal with unwanted attention, judgements, issues and consequences on things she can't really control.

Is euphoria seen in bipolar disorder? ›

Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mood disorder that is characterized by periods of extreme swings of euphoria (positivity and happiness) to depression (sadness and negativity).

Does euphoria glorify drugs? ›

says HBO's 'Euphoria' glamorizes drug use, sex and violence. The show "chooses to misguidedly glorify and erroneously depict high school student drug use addiction ... and other destructive behaviors as common in today's world,” D.A.R.E. wrote.

What drugs are used in euphoria? ›

This state of euphoria is where the show gets its name. Pharmaceutical opioids like codeine, morphine, and oxycodone are commonly prescribed for pain relief.

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