Analyzing Word Choice: Intoxicating Emotion

Read the following excerpt from a contemporary novel:

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the world seemed to pulse with an electric charge; shadows melded into one another like a painter's chaotic brushstrokes. The protagonist felt an intoxicating blend of anxiety and exhilaration wash over her, as she prepared to step into the unknown.

Consider the word 'intoxicating' as used in this context. What does the author imply through this particular choice of word?