Bustle, rush, running with occasional breaks for a short rest - this is how the life of most active residents looks like modern megacities. Daily problem solving, acceptance important decisions, on which not only we ourselves, but also other people often depend, the search for ways out of newly emerging problem situations- all these are the realities of our life. Living with a sense of stress increased level adrenaline has become almost the norm. We have developed a habit of overexertion. And when it comes - suddenly! - break, silence, pause, we are lost ... We begin to hear ourselves, feel ourselves and find ourselves face to face with all internal contradictions, with all our conflicts, from which we successfully closed ourselves with fuss and increased activity.

When our real life full and rich, it has a lot bright colors and experiences that make us "alive". But if we haven’t answered the question “What is the meaning of life?” for ourselves, if family life for us - boring, monotonous everyday life, if work is a routine functional, then our “soul of a poet” still desires something, looks for something even in this gray mud. Then we rush to the intense experiences that walk the edge brings us, balancing between “it will work” and “it will not work”, between success and failure - and the habit of witticism. adrenaline life quickly becomes second nature to us.

But maybe it's not bad at all - to live at the peak of emotions, move at breakneck speeds, promote project after project, not even having time to savor the success of the previous achievement? Why stop, because it's so interesting to live? Probably, everything would be fine if we did not have to pay for such a crazy rhythm of life.

The effects of stress

Adrenaline, excessively entering the bloodstream, leads to the destruction of immunity. The heart cannot withstand constant high loads, cardiovascular diseases occur. Unrelenting anxiety is accompanied by insomnia. And the endless nervous tension"shoots" peptic ulcer and gastritis. And that is not all.

After the next portion of adrenaline, a decline in activity occurs, in which a person feels lethargic and lacks sensations. He wants to experience the rise again. And he again resorts to those actions that lead to the release of adrenaline as a result of stress. This is how addiction is formed.

After the next portion of adrenaline comes a decline in activity

Like most of our problems, it "comes from childhood." In adrenaline addiction, hyper-custody is “guilty” (parents are overly attentive to the child, but at the same time they infringe on his freedom and do not allow a sense of responsibility to develop) and hypo-custody (parents practically do not pay attention to the child, leaving him to himself). We can also refer to hypo-custody a situation that is very common in our time, when parents disappear at work, and the child is given attention in the form of expensive toys, not realizing that the child needs not expensive designers and dolls, but sweet words and hugs.

Both of these parenting styles lead to the fact that the child does not develop a clear understanding of himself, his capabilities and their limits, he grows up with an emptiness inside, while not understanding what to do with this emptiness.

Often this problem - emptiness and dullness inside - a child or teenager tries to solve with the help of extreme sports, alcohol and drugs, as well as replenishing emotional deficit quarrels and scandals with loved ones.

Adults find the same exits for themselves. What to do?

1. Find out what you are really missing. You need to start by exploring the emptiness within. What should be there instead? What exactly is missing? When this emptiness first appeared, what events in your life did it involve? What have you filled your life with in the past so that you feel fulfilled and alive? What changed? What is missing? The truthful answers to these questions will give you the opportunity to choose the right strategy for healing from adrenaline addiction.

2. Learn to switch. As soon as you understand that some activity absorbs you, that you are no longer so interested and pleasant to do it, as it draws you in with some unknown forces and does not let go, stop and do something else. It can be no less laborious activity, but while your mind is busy with it, you will have time to understand the motives for your actions in the previous step and determine whether this pursuit of another dose of adrenaline is really necessary.

By replacing part of your workouts with other types of vigorous activity, you will get a drive without harm to the body.

Often such an addiction is developed in girls who, in pursuit of beauty (and not for Olympic records), go to the gym every day, sometimes even twice a day. In such a situation, the motive for training quickly becomes not achieving the desired appearance, but the feeling of drive, lifting and subsequent relaxation that training gives. It is not a sin to strive for these sensations, however, having lost the measure, the girls become addicted to training (they devote everything to them). free time, continue to exercise even after injuries, feel miserable if they have to miss a workout). Replacing part of the training with other activities, you will get the same drive, but without harm to the body.

3. Find new activities, that will help you feel "alive" and filled. The most important thing that should be in all these activities is novelty. Any new experience new information, new skills will not only enrich your life, but also contribute to your mental health, because the effect of novelty leads to the release of endorphins into the blood - the hormones of happiness. With adrenaline addiction, we get endorphin after the fact: when the a large number of adrenaline and its action must somehow be softened, the body produces the hormone of happiness.

Any new impressions, new information, new skills - a way to get a dose of endorphins

Instead, you can hit right on target - to achieve endorphin production directly, bypassing massive doses of adrenaline. This will help travel to new places (not necessarily to the other end of the world, but even just to the neighboring district of the city), rest in beautiful corners of nature, active classes sports, communication with people, meetings in interest clubs, mastering new profession, new skills (for example, learning foreign language or learning how to build websites), reading interesting books, and perhaps even writing your own (not for sale, but for yourself, for personal creativity). This list goes on. What way would you suggest to fill your life?

Are you ready now to get behind the wheel of a car and drive at a speed of 200 km/h? Would you dare to jump with a parachute if you were offered? Maybe one of you answered the questions in the affirmative. People who are constantly looking for thrills are called adrenaline addicts by doctors. What is adrenaline? How should it be considered - harmful or beneficial? And can an adrenaline addiction really form?

- a stress hormone produced by the adrenal cortex, a certain amount of adrenaline is always present in human blood. When a stressful situation arises, adrenaline is released into the blood, adrenaline prepares the body for action.

The stress hormone can cause an unusual burst of energy. Once in America, a small truck ran over young man. A passer-by rushed to pull the young man out from under the wheels, he lifted the truck, and the driver pulled the guy out. The passer-by had no special physical strength, he was a common person but the situation he saw affected him greatly. A passer-by's adrenaline helped save a man's life.

Adrenaline renders useful action on nervous system, it stimulates it, causes an increase in heart rate, has a relaxing effect on smooth muscles. Adrenaline affects the breakdown of fats, inhibiting their synthesis, the performance of skeletal muscles improves, and physical activity person increases.

But the hormone can also affect the body negatively, for example, a sharp release of adrenaline raises blood pressure, which negatively affects the heart, a hypertensive person can get a stroke. A person who suffers from cardiovascular diseases and at the same time has high pressure, stress can send to the next world.

Duration of action of adrenaline

The stress hormone affects the body for no more than five minutes when adrenaline enters the bloodstream.
oh, then the systems that are responsible for the “repayment” of its action immediately work. Norepinephrine- a hormone that is responsible for reducing congestion. Excitation is followed by inhibition. The person feels emotional and physical devastation. The more adrenaline affected the body, the longer a person will come to his normal state. The condition resembles the withdrawal syndrome that occurs in alcoholics or drug addicts. Remember strong scandal that was in your life, and remember your condition.

It's a matter of dose. A small amount of adrenaline is only good, big can kill. A small amount of drive is even beneficial, but the constant and prolonged release of the stress hormone leads to the fact that the adrenal medulla begins to deplete. This may cause sudden stop hearts. Prolonged stress should be avoided by all means.

What about a person whose life is full of adrenaline?

People extreme professions have a kind of immunity against the action of adrenaline. But it is also important for them to know that it is useful to listen to calm music, take a walk on fresh air or indulge in relaxing exercise after the adrenaline rush.

Some people love dangerous situations and the state of stress, they are constantly in search of thrills. They are called adrenaline junkies. It is no secret that a parachute jump will be remembered for a lifetime, because it causes a violent outburst of emotions. Sources of adrenaline can be leisure, sports, gambling and more. Racers, climbers, gamblers, skydivers constantly cause themselves a feeling of stress, they like it so much that they are ready to receive it all the time. These people are unfamiliar with apathy or depression.

Businessmen who were able to quickly achieve success can be compared to climbers or skydivers. They also experience an adrenaline rush. Journalists, the military, resuscitators and other people whose profession requires high responsibility or poses a danger to life, are constantly under the "adrenaline high". Doctors say that people specifically choose such professions for themselves in order to be constantly on an emotional upsurge.

So is adrenaline a drug or not?

This question is difficult to answer. A drug addict is a person who depends on any substance, it does not matter how the substance comes in - from the outside or is produced inside the body. Therefore, adrenaline can be attributed to a legal drug, which can be sex, alcohol, and happiness. The main thing is to follow the consequences.

On a note

Lack of carbohydrates causes an increase in the level of adrenaline in the blood. Therefore, people who practice fasting often experience a feeling of uplift and constant energy. Usually this condition occurs on the second or third day of fasting. Physiologists and traditional healers they say that this is the influence of the energy that a person usually spends on digestion. But fasting is stressful for the body, so don't fast too long.

Living in a civilized world and obeying its laws and rules, modern man often forgets that, despite statuses and material benefits, he continues to be a part of nature. And let from the time primitive society The surrounding reality has changed radically, but the instincts and reactions inherent in us by this very nature have not disappeared anywhere. Rather, they quietly "slumber", sometimes finding a way out in the most unexpected forms of behavior.

Life is like a movie

A couple of years ago, the movie Adrenaline was released, main character which, performed by the now popular Jason Stethem, being poisoned by some incredible poison, begins to need the constant presence of the hormone of the same name in the blood. To get it, he does the most insane things: drives a car, jumps with a parachute, performs stunts on a bicycle, fights with numerous opponents. And all for one goal - to survive!

Of course, like everything else, a vital necessity The adrenaline rush in the movies is overdone. However, the plot of this film is a kind of metaphor for the life of some men (much less often women) in modern society. To be "on horseback", to feel like a full-fledged representative of the stronger sex, to feel life in all its beauty and diversity, some of us really need an adrenaline rush! And quite often. Otherwise, waking up every new morning and feeling the “insipidity” of the events taking place around, such people literally can lead to depression.

What is adrenaline?

But in order to analyze the reasons for such a need, let's first find out what kind of hormone this notorious adrenaline is. It turns out that it is produced by the cells of the adrenal medulla. At the same time, there is practically not a single organ on which adrenaline would not have its effect when it penetrates into the blood.

Under the influence of adrenaline, the pulse quickens, blood pressure rises, the vessels of the organs narrow abdominal cavity, skin, mucous membranes and even skeletal muscles. It first accelerates, and then slows down the heartbeat ... And these are far from all the “possibilities” of adrenaline. They are needed in order to mobilize all the forces of the body to protect oneself or escape from danger in stressful situations, when feeling danger and fear, as well as in injuries.

According to psychologist Larisa Sidorova, in such a very effective way, nature provided us with a complex protective system to respond to the threats and challenges of life. When we find ourselves in a situation of insecurity, for example, we expect physical aggression against us, “stress hormones” are injected into the blood - as a result, we are able to respond more effectively to the situation, subjugating the body.

social factor

However, such subordination for modern man there is one big downside. Resetting adrenaline by neutralizing its action can be done in two ways that nature has chosen when creating this complex mechanism - flight or attack. However, according to Larisa, most stressful situations in our world are associated with public relations, in which it is unacceptable to directly implement flight or attack strategies (first of all, of course, we are talking about work). Therefore, regularly experiencing stress and, as a result, the release of adrenaline, people are implicitly looking for at least some way out for this hormone - they take out their anger at home, get carried away gambling, turn to alcohol and extreme sports ... And this is not surprising, because on average the level of adrenaline in the blood during stressful situation increases tenfold.

History from life

However, from the point of view of logic, the above examples can hardly be called confirmation of the dependence that was discussed at the beginning of the article. By the way, in official science the term "adrenaline addiction" does not exist at all. However, phenomena that could be called that way have been traced throughout the history of mankind.

A vivid illustration of this dependence can serve as the story of my friend. Having served on a contract basis for more than ten years and having visited “hot spots” several times, he returned home, and, being an electrician by profession, got a job at a small enterprise. The salary suited him quite well, and the attitude of the management was not bad. In addition, Igor (that is the name of the hero of the story) was soon going to marry, having met former classmate, with whom he once broke up due to a negative attitude towards him from her parents.

It would seem that the guy is getting a normal life, which he fully deserved after two injuries and endless life tests of strength. However, after only six months of a “measured” stay in civilian life, he packed his things and moved to another city, where his colleague found him a job in the rescue service. At the same time, the lack of housing, low wage and protests from the beloved did not stop Igor. To all the persuasion of friends and questions from acquaintances, he answered simply and concisely: "I got bored."

It is worth noting that all six months after returning from the army, he led active image life: engaged in martial arts, fished, hunted, was fond of hiking. What continues to do so far.

Passion or disease?

Of course, people who are accustomed to " action"and the constant release of adrenaline, among the military or law enforcement officers is not uncommon. This is a strong habit developed over the years. But what can be said about the average person who, being neither one nor the other, and besides not experiencing special stress at work, strives to turn every step into an occasion for adrenaline?

The risk group for such adrenaline addiction, according to Larisa, is primarily people with unresolved problems. psychological problems, the syndrome of a loser or loser, or, on the contrary, the syndrome of an excellent student. However, quite often a fine line between addiction (for example, from extreme sports) and simply a hobby - for such people it can be erased.

"While hobbies serve only spicy seasoning To normal life, - says Larisa, - we can say that the man found effective method release hormones. About the presence of adrenaline addiction as about sick state judged by the depth of the “energy hole” into which a person falls when he loses interest in everything except his passion, when he does not have enough energy for everyday affairs.

Perhaps, only a specialist, a neurologist or a psychologist, can understand this. However, you can get an initial idea of ​​the degree of your own addiction to adrenaline by honestly answering a few questions. Are you willing to sacrifice sleep for your passion? Do you feel a surge of energy and strength only if you have the opportunity to satisfy the passion for THIS, and the rest of the time you feel depressed and apathetic? Is it only this occupation that allows you to forget about problems and troubles? When you don't have the opportunity to pursue your hobby, do you think about it endlessly?

adrenaline addiction not as well known as alcohol, tobacco or drug addiction. At first glance, the consequences are not so terrible. However, adrenaline addiction is just dangerous in that little is known about it and rarely associated with it certain diseases and negative states of the individual.

A little about adrenaline. The hormone adrenaline is produced by the cells of the adrenal medulla. When adrenaline enters the bloodstream, almost all organs react to it with changes in activity. You can determine the release of adrenaline by an increased heart rate, an increase blood pressure, vasoconstriction of the skin, abdominal organs, mucous membranes and skeletal muscles. The heart starts beating faster and then slows down. Adrenaline is very important for the body, as in dangerous and difficult situations it mobilizes all the forces of the body to protect or avoid danger.

However, adrenaline can enter the bloodstream not only in critical situations, but also in any stressful ones. Do not forget that they can also have a positive connotation: holidays, achievements, victories - these and other events make the body react with an adrenaline rush.

What is "adrenaline addiction"?

There are a lot of adrenaline addicts, but they themselves may not know about it. At first glance, they are impossible to identify. Interestingly, there are many adrenaline addicts among successful people who constantly strive for something, achieve success.

However, often people talk about adrenaline addiction when a person is addicted to thrills. It can take our breath away when we watch people skydiving, jumping off a bridge, etc. extreme views sports. But a person with an adrenaline addiction does not see anything terrible in these sports, but, on the contrary, enjoys them.

The thing is that in situations of risk to human health or life, the brain gives a command of danger and the adrenal glands begin to intensively release a large dose of adrenaline into the blood. Increased heart rate and other effects of adrenaline cause the pituitary gland to produce a large amount of endorphins - hormones of happiness. Increased heart rate, rapid breathing and hyperventilation of the lungs in turn cause a feeling of euphoria, which can last for hours. Of course, having experienced such euphoria once, the body will want to return to this unusual state again.

Adrenaline addiction: causes.

1. Wish unusual sensations after they have been received several times.

2. adrenaline addiction may be due to work. It is clear that such professions as a firefighter, pilot, policeman, military man, athlete do not exist without adrenaline. A person may go to work in these specialties for the reason that he likes to experience a feeling of fear, or he may become addicted to it already in the course of work.

3. Weak self-esteem and complexes. Sometimes a person tries to overcome his complexes with the help of something unusual. He takes risks, receives a dose of adrenaline, which for some time maintains self-confidence in a person. The return of complexes and low self-esteem pushes a person to new achievements.

The problem of adrenaline addiction in the fact that in order to get adrenaline, a person needs more and more emotions each time. In addition, frequent stay in adrenaline excitement leads to the fact that a person feels uncomfortable in a calm environment, while he may experience weakness and malaise, his chronic diseases are exacerbated, which should be treated not by doctors, but by psychotherapists. Adrenaline-addicted person may look for experiences where it is better not to, he takes reckless risks just to get another dose of adrenaline.

How to get rid of adrenaline addiction? believes that, just like from any other, one should try to refrain from situations that carry a surge of adrenaline. Sometimes, especially severe cases, adrenaline addiction has to be treated by a psychotherapist.

Adrenaline Rushing: The Best Tricks in the World.

Looking through medical reference books, one cannot find such a disease as adrenaline addiction. However, any psychotherapist will tell you that there are a large number of people who are "addicted" to adrenaline. And not a pharmacy one, but its own, produced by the adrenal glands. What is adrenaline addiction and its consequences for a person, we will try to find out in this article.

To begin with, we recall that adrenaline is synthesized in our body by the neuroendocrine cells of the adrenal medulla.

This hormone helps us cope with external danger, fear, traumatic shock and pain. It mobilizes all body systems that begin to work in an enhanced mode. By stimulating the central nervous system, adrenaline promotes fast response, visual acuity, speed of thinking and assessment of what is happening. Thus, our body is protected from possible threats of the outside world.

The history of adrenaline addiction can be traced back through the ages. Possible carriers of such a state include all kinds of pirates, travelers, duelists and other people whose lives are associated with constant risk. Now this category of people is made up of professional athletes, climbers, divers and other adventure lovers.

An important part of adrenaline addiction is stress, which triggers the mechanism of hormone synthesis.

Of course, stress can be both positive and negative. Positive stress comes from the feeling that arises when conquering a mountain peak, seeing a picture underwater world, victories in competitions, etc. The stress caused negative factors It also promotes the release of adrenaline. However, this already has a negative effect on the human body. Thus, adrenaline addiction occurs in people who seek constant risk. But, unjustified risk only harms a person, putting him on the brink of death.

Causes and consequences of adrenaline addiction

Dependence on the amount of adrenaline in the blood is formed in a person with early childhood. A child who strives to assert himself among his peers, prove his exclusivity, increase self-esteem or become a leader, is at risk of addiction to the adrenaline hormone. With age, the need to be exceptional disappears for many. But, nevertheless, there are many people for whom adrenaline becomes an important part of life. Its lack from the usual amount leads to depression, painful condition, self-doubt. Only risk makes it possible for such people to feel at ease.

The emergence of adrenaline addiction contribute to:

• the presence of complexes and low self-esteem. A person tries, with the help of risky situations, to prove to himself and others that he is underestimated, that he is actually capable of more;
• strong emotional experiences positive. For example, skydiving caused a big rush of endorphins, the “happiness” hormones. The person liked this feeling of euphoria and he strives to repeat this state;
• risky work. It can be a profession of a firefighter, a miner, a pilot, a rescuer. A person gets used to increased adrenaline and can no longer turn away from his profession;
• genetic predisposition. A special gene, located on the eleventh chromosome, is responsible for a person's passion for risk and adrenaline.

Even professional doctor it's hard to find the line that separates moderate cravings for adrenaline from serious illness which requires the intervention of physicians and psychiatrists. In cases where a person constantly refers to a risk that can lead to serious injury or even death, it is necessary to address Special attention. It is one thing when adrenaline addiction is expressed in sports achievements and craving for conquering new heights in creativity, and another thing when adrenaline junkie enjoys fighting, car racing with threat to own life and the lives of those around them. The consequences of such behavior will be the saddest. Such people are aggressive towards others, often come into conflict, become uncontrollable in stressful situations.