Adrenaline Junkie or High Sensation Seeker? Part 1

(Translation into most languages at tab to right)

Have you ever pondered how different people drive and approach the objective of getting from one place to another? Are there certain people you would rather not get into a car with when they are driving? I was thinking about this the other day when John and I were driving to meet friends and the same scenario played out when he is driving: the race is on. It’s not that John exceeds the speed limit too much – he’s only ever had a few tickets in his entire life – although he drives on the high end of the limit. But it is the way he views the entire undertaking.

This is nothing new. Years ago, we had rented a car to drive across Italy with our kids. We were on unfamiliar freeways where the speed limit was more of a suggestion than a limitation. Not much time passed before I, as the navigator in the front seat, was looking for anything I could hold on to in fear of my life as John joined in the race. After my repeated shrieks of “Slow down!” and exclamations of “Watch out!”, we decided that I needed to be in the back seat and close my eyes while someone with steadier nerves took my place. 

His adrenaline was flowing and so was mine. But the difference was that for John, this was exciting. For me, it was terrifying. I am a risk-averse person and tend to avoid risks in most areas of my life as much as possible. Yet, I am also an anxious person and my adrenaline can flow when there is no real threat. But the ways it affects my life are different. One thing we all have in common is that these predispositions have a physiologic base and are most likely passed down to us from preceding generations.

What is adrenaline and what role does it play in our bodies and lives?

Adrenaline (epinephrine) is a hormone our adrenal glands make to help us prepare for stressful, threatening, or dangerous situations. Adrenaline rush is the name for the quick release of adrenaline into our bloodstream and turns on our sympathetic nervous system which gets our body ready for a “fight or flight” response to a real or perceived danger.

An Adrenaline Junkie is someone who seeks activities that give them that “rush” which is addictive. Recent studies have shown that dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that regulate risk-taking and impulsivity, are downregulated in people with substance use disorders. (1) This means that if we constantly stimulate our adrenal glands, dopamine and serotonin are no longer able to help protect us from high-risk and impulsive decisions. We are then in need of, craving, more adrenaline, a vicious cycle.

But when I looked at the characteristics of an adrenaline junkie and thought about the things my husband seeks out and enjoys, he didn’t quite fit the pattern of seeking one-off thrills like skydiving, bungee jumping, hang gliding. He instead seems to regularly engage in high-risk activities and behaviors. How is this different than being an adrenaline junkie?

What I discovered in my search to understand is another type of adrenaline-seeking personality, High Sensation Seekers. When I looked at those characteristics, they fit him much more closely. I will go into them in Part Two of the next blog. 

For others like me with minds that race full of thoughts and worry, adrenaline and other stress-related hormones like cortisol are released. The anxiety can be most pronounced when we are lying in bed and keep focusing on what has happened or what might happen in the future. That extra boost of energy has no use and instead leaves us restless and unable to sleep. The parasympathetic nervous system relaxes us and predominates in quiet and rest and drives our “rest and digest” systems. It conserves our energy for when it is needed. So, any type of adrenaline-using behavior depletes our adrenal glands and overrides our parasympathetic system leaving us exhausted.

In relation to addictions, we can easily see how risk-taking and thrill-seeking behaviors include heavy or binge drinking, using drugs, high-risk sex, gambling etc. Adrenaline addiction of any type brings with it withdrawal symptoms like cravings, decreased interest in other activities, and negative emotions and restlessness.

Regardless of how we deplete our adrenaline reservoir, here are some suggestions to help us respond to unhealthy urges or stress in our lives and to help restore our sense of well-being and peace:

• prayer and meditation
• deep breathing and muscle relaxation
• regular exercise – which releases endorphins (3)
• balanced diet– low in refined sugars and carbs, high in protein
• avoid cellphones, bright lights, computers, loud music, and TV right before bedtime
• leisure activities
• listening to peaceful or positive music 
• creativity
• social support
• practicing gratitude
• counseling/therapy

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1. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-tell-if-youre-an-adrenaline-junkie-3145035

• https://www.verywellmind.com/tips-to-reduce-stress-3145195

• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23040-endorphins