Adrenaline addiction: causes and how to treat

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Adrenaline addiction is a mental disorder. It manifests itself in a constant need to receive adrenaline. Thanks to him, patients experience positive emotions. You need to know other symptoms and treatment of the disease.

Typically, addiction to adrenaline appears in young people who prefer extreme entertainment. They are not afraid of the risk of death. Lack of self-preservation instinct is the worst consequence of adrenaline addiction.

Causes

Psychology has long been searching for the causes of craving for extreme sports, and it has been revealed that addiction begins to form in childhood, plus there is a genetic predisposition.
By the way, you can take a test to determine how addicted you are. There is a gene that is responsible for the passion for alcohol, drugs and, accordingly, adrenaline. As a child, a teenager can become addicted to trying to assert himself, prove to himself and everyone how cool he is, and experiment in order to test what he is capable of.

But in adulthood, mature age, the following reasons can provoke:

• Low self-esteem. When the child grows up and the insecurities remain, the adult man or woman simply needs an outlet of energy where he or she can thus announce to the world his or her courage or adulthood. Men begin to get involved, for example, in football, eventually becoming an active fan. Or they take big risks when running a business, achieving success. In the article “The best methods for achieving success that will help you finally believe in yourself,” I already said that a person has a polarity of qualities, for example, if he is very cowardly, then there are definitely moments and situations when this person behaves fearlessly. Therefore, the polarity of uncertainty “shoots up” in extreme activities or risky business.
• Positive reinforcement. Having experienced such euphoria a couple of times, a person simply gets hooked on the constant desire to experience it. Having jumped with a parachute once, or done a steep kayaking trip, there is a chance that you will want to repeat it, with increased risk, since the previous level of difficulty will no longer be so exciting.
• Profession. Due to the daily experience of stress and risk in work activities, a person may simply no longer imagine his life without it. Military personnel, athletes, firefighters constantly experience adrenaline rushes... And after finishing their career, or having served a contract, they cannot find themselves in a measured and calm life.

Case from practice

Sergey, 25 years old, married, works as a taxi driver. He was a good racing athlete. His passion is driving at high speeds, for which he was constantly fined and his license was taken away, but he continued to exceed the speed limit. Sergei realized the problem and wanted to solve it.

To do this, his true needs were clarified, the illusion of fulfillment of which was created by adrenaline mania, and alternative ways were found to satisfy these needs; The trigger mechanism that includes such a behavior program has been studied, and several trainings have been conducted.

The passion for speed remained (he was the first in training at the car club and at competitions, and did not miss Formula 1 television broadcasts), but the “racing” on city streets stopped.

About the harm caused to the body by the release of adrenaline

First of all, we would once again like to say that under the influence of the release of adrenaline into the blood, a rather sharp increase in blood pressure occurs in the body. And this, in turn, has a negative effect on the human heart, and on his entire cardiovascular system. Unfortunately, if this process is repeated frequently, it may well become the cause of arrhythmia.

In addition, there are more dangerous consequences of frequent jumps in blood pressure - the appearance directly, on certain vessels, of so-called aneurysms, which after a certain period of time can cause the development of a stroke - a pathology of the brain.

Moreover, immediately after a sharp surge in adrenaline, the human body begins to actively produce a substance such as norepinephrine. And this hormone is responsible for some reduction in body overload. Consequently, literally after some time, after the initial excitation, a noticeable inhibition of all body functions will necessarily occur.

As a result, some time after the initial release of adrenaline, a person will begin to feel significant weakness, emptiness and even weakness

In this case, it is important to remember that the stronger the initial effect of adrenaline on the body, the longer the person will feel somewhat “inhibited”

And lastly, long-term and frequent releases of adrenaline directly into the human blood often lead to a noticeable depletion of the medulla in the adrenal glands that produces this hormone. After which “acute adrenal insufficiency” may develop. We are talking about a condition that quite often causes sudden cardiac arrest and even death of a person.

This is probably why doctors consider too much stress to be an incredibly dangerous condition that you should try to avoid. Realizing that you have too much adrenaline in your blood, it is recommended to try to get rid of it in simple and accessible ways. This can be done by listening to calm music, just being in the fresh air, doing simple exercises aimed at relaxing the whole body.

Symptoms and causes

The release of adrenaline into the blood occurs within a few seconds. In a person with an increased level of this hormone in the blood, the heart rate increases noticeably, protein metabolism increases, the pupils become dilated, blood is redirected to the muscles, resulting in a powerful surge of energy, the respiratory tract relaxes so that the muscles are better saturated with oxygen. The release of adrenaline into the blood can cause increased sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness, blurred vision, decreased pain and changes in body temperature.

After the release of adrenaline into the blood, this effect can last up to 40–60 minutes. The hormone produced by the adrenal glands gives a person the necessary strength so that he can fight the threat or run away from it.

The level of adrenaline in the blood increases not only when a person is faced with a real threat. Extreme sports (roller coasters, bungees, skydiving, etc.) greatly affect the release of adrenaline into the blood. Activation of the body’s production of this hormone can also occur during an exam, at an interview with an employer, on a first date, etc.

The main reasons for the release of adrenaline into the blood are stress, force majeure, excessive heat or cold, anxiety, social conflicts, danger, excitement, pain, serious injury, physical impact, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

People who have a history of sexual assault, combat assault, etc. may develop PTSD. Victims, thinking about past traumas, feel all the “delights” of the adrenaline rush. An increased level of this neurotransmitter hormone provokes insomnia, apathy, irritability, and constant anticipation of something bad and dangerous in people with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sometimes active production of adrenaline can be triggered by a malignant tumor of the adrenal glands (pheochromocytoma) or the nervous system (paraganglioma). These types of cancers are quite rare, but they have been scientifically proven to increase adrenaline levels in the blood and cause panic attacks.

A carbohydrate deficiency can also trigger the release of adrenaline into the blood, since prolonged fasting is stressful for the body. To increase blood sugar levels and activate resources, the adrenal glands begin to produce adrenaline in increased quantities.

What is it and signs of its occurrence

The name of this type of addiction has not yet been invented; such a diagnosis does not yet exist in scientific books, but in life it is quite real. The release of this hormone occurs during stressful situations when a person experiences fear, horror or shock.

The signs are very easy to spot:

• Hyperventilation of the lungs occurs due to too frequent shallow breathing
• Pupils dilate
• Heartbeat increases
• Increases mobility of the entire body

The person is excited and experiences sensations that are similar to alcohol or drug intoxication. And then relaxation sets in, and the pituitary gland begins to produce endorphins, which are considered hormones of happiness. This euphoria can last for several hours, after which lethargy sets in, even to the point of depression. This is where the reason for regression manifests itself - the need arises to repeat the release of adrenaline in order not only to experience pleasant feelings again, but also to get rid of a condition similar to a hangover. And so on in a circle. Over time, it is formed at the chemical level; a person is not afraid of injury due to extreme sports, or even death. There remains a thirst to live the sensation of being on the edge; this excites more than falling in love.

Treatment of panic attacks by reducing the dose of adrenaline

The hormone adrenaline is produced by the adrenal glands and is a biologically active substance that is constantly present in the body in a certain amount.

When a person begins to worry, finds himself in a stressful situation or experiences fear, the body reacts instantly, releasing a huge amount of adrenaline into the blood.

The hormone, stimulating physical, brain, and mental activity, mobilizes all the body’s forces, gives it the ability to make decisions as quickly as possible and easily overcome obstacles.

In order not to cause harm to the body, it is administered briefly and in a normal situation, after five minutes its quantity returns to normal. If for some reason its level does not decrease, you need to think about how to reduce adrenaline, and this must be done as quickly as possible: if the body is in a state of stress all the time, this will not end well.

Sports activities help reduce the production of adrenaline: half an hour of active exercise in the gym will bring your emotional state back to normal.

If it is not possible to go to the gym, it is necessary to take into account that moderate physical exercise and stress, staying in the fresh air strengthens the body, as a result of which it responds better to stress, which helps reduce the release of the hormone.

To put the nervous system in order, proper rest is very important.

It is especially important when symptoms appear that signal that the body is at its limit due to too intense work. In this case, it is advisable to take a day off and do another activity.

For example, if the work involves mental work, working in the fresh air will provide an opportunity to escape from worries and relax your nerves, which will lead to a decrease in adrenaline. You need to sleep as much time as the body needs to put the nervous system in order, reducing the amount of adrenaline in the blood.

For this purpose, some successfully practice yoga exercises, meditation, contemplation, relaxation, and auto-training. If it is not possible to engage in such therapy, you can perform simpler exercises.

To do this, you need to lie down or sit down and begin to breathe steadily, stabilizing your heart rate.

At the same time, you only need to think about something good and drive away all the negativity: this will stabilize the nervous system, which will lead to a decrease in the level of the hormone and will stop negatively affecting the body.

You can put your nervous system in order through communication, so it is advisable not to avoid communicating with friends and relatives.

Doctors may also recommend a creative hobby or other enjoyable exercises for the soul: drawing, modeling, music, aromatherapy, water procedures distract and calm the nerves, which leads to a decrease in adrenaline levels.

Also, the level of adrenaline in the blood can be reduced by exercises aimed at calming the body. In no case should you substitute concepts and smoke, drink, or eat a lot to calm your nerves: such methods of calming will not bring much benefit; instead, they will provoke the development of obesity, nicotine or alcohol addiction.

Panic attack? Has anxiety filled your mind? Control anxiety and reduce adrenaline levels

to normal. High adrenaline definitely leads to panic and anxiety.

Hangover syndrome

Hangover syndrome is a reaction of the adrenal glands to alcohol consumption. Often people do not monitor the amount of alcohol they drink, and the next day after alcohol intoxication a person experiences a difficult emotional state: he is ashamed of what happened, has a headache, and blames himself for inappropriate behavior at the event.

Sometimes memory begins to fail, which is the body’s protective reaction to alcohol consumption.

In the case when a person the next morning after drinking requires more alcohol, it is imperative to undergo treatment, since the body is already addicted to ethanol and dependence has developed.

We offer you to watch an interesting video on the topic “Adrenaline Addiction”:

Consequences of stress

Adrenaline, which enters the blood in excess, leads to the destruction of the immune system. The heart cannot withstand constant high loads, and cardiovascular diseases occur. Persistent anxiety is accompanied by insomnia. And endless nervous tension results in peptic ulcers and gastritis. And that is not all.

After the next portion of adrenaline, a decline in activity occurs, during which the person feels lethargic and lack of sensations. He wants to feel uplifted 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.

Like most of our problems, it “comes from childhood.” Overprotection (parents are overly attentive to the child, but at the same time infringe on his freedom and do not allow him to develop a sense of responsibility) and hypoprotection (parents practically do not pay attention to the child, leaving him to his own devices) are “to blame” for adrenaline addiction.

We can also include under guardianship 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 does not need expensive construction toys and dolls, but affectionate 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 emptiness inside, without understanding what to do with this emptiness.

Often a child or teenager tries to solve this problem - emptiness and grayness inside - with the help of extreme sports, alcohol and drugs, as well as making up for emotional deficits with quarrels and scandals with loved ones.

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

What is love addiction?

Love addiction is not the natural healthy attachment that arises between people who are significant to each other.

Dependence is a painful craving, it is precisely an unhealthy attachment. Which does not allow a person to get out of those relationships in which he suffers and suffers.

Life at its peak

Adrenaline addiction is, oddly enough, a description of the flow of life of a modern person. Getting up early, running to and from work, household chores, family problems, work again, worries, illnesses - all this is the life of a person in the 21st century. Every hour we are faced with difficult tasks - what to choose, how to do it right, how to get to work, how not to harm ourselves and loved ones, how not to be left without material wealth, etc. And often circumstances are beyond our control, which leads to real stress.

Human life is constant stress, accompanied by high levels of adrenaline. Indeed, few people imagine their life to be sluggish and measured. We can no longer live without constant haste and daily bustle. We constantly balance between risk and stability, between being successful and being failures, and all this provokes the release of adrenaline into the blood. After a while, without this portion of adrenaline, life has no meaning. A real adrenaline addiction arises.

Craving for adrenaline or escape from boredom?

In a well-functioning and increasingly calm, rationalized society, danger and risk are, first of all, in demand precisely as a remedy for boredom. Hence the unprecedented desire to travel, which often culminates in extreme tourism, which has become widespread in recent years. People of post-industrial society prefer deprivation and danger to comfort and convenience. They need excitement, fearing that without it they risk gradually dying out. But where there is risk and danger, there is also uncertainty and a challenge to fate.

In 2005, circus performers brother and sister Arvydas and Diana Gaiciunas set a world record for the longest stay inside an ice block in the Lithuanian city of Palanga. Dressed only in T-shirts and sweatpants, they spent 63 hours and 31 minutes in a 12-ton ice cube measuring 1.4 x 1.2 x 2 m.

Author: Vladimir Kukk, psychiatrist, psychologist, author of the book “Encyclopedia of Addictions”
The material uses photographs belonging to shutterstock.com

How to influence adrenaline levels

Before prescribing a course of treatment, the doctor is interested in the lifestyle of his patient. You can reduce the level of the hormone by making adjustments to your lifestyle and using certain physiotherapeutic techniques:

• If rapid breathing occurs, you need to sit comfortably, relax your body and breathe like this: take a deep breath, then don’t breathe for a few seconds, exhale slowly until your lungs are completely empty. This exercise should be carried out for at least 10 minutes.
• You need to lie on your back on a flat surface. You need to think about pleasant things: what makes you most happy, your favorite vacation spot, your hobby. Alternately tense and relax your entire body for a short time. This is done once with each muscle.
• Look at the view from the window, enjoy nature, try to reflect on the beauty of our world.
• A good way is to have a heart-to-heart conversation about problems with friends, parents, or your significant other. During the discussion, everything often looks solvable and not so serious.
• A global change in life. If your adrenaline level rises too much when communicating with a certain person or at work, then you need to think about changing your job. If the problem is related to your loved one, then it may be worth breaking up.
• Normalization of night sleep. If a person has difficulty falling asleep, you should try to perform a kind of ritual before going to bed. This is taking a shower (but not a contrast shower), airing the room or drinking a cup of warm milk. The body will get used to this action, and the craving for sleep will appear as a conditioned reflex. Sometimes you need to change your wake and sleep schedule. You need to go to bed no later than 22:00, and wake up no later than 8:00.
• Massage is a great way to relieve an attack. But only a doctor prescribes it, since this method is not suitable for some people. Those for whom it is not contraindicated will feel improvement from the first minutes of the session.
• Yoga. A set of exercises using this method helps you learn to relax and saturates the body with a sufficient amount of oxygen.
• Every morning, do a little exercise in the fresh air or with an open window.
• The main thing is to be positive. Read funny stories, jokes, try to avoid unpleasant situations. Laughter is a good cure for stress.

Drug treatment is prescribed if lifestyle changes do not help and excess adrenaline remains under any conditions. Only a doctor prescribes medications that can lower hormone levels. They must be taken along with the use of physiotherapeutic techniques. Reserpine and moxonidine demonstrate high effectiveness. To reduce high blood pressure and pulse rate, alpha and beta blockers are used. The specialist decides on an individual basis how to normalize the amount of fear hormone.

Adrenaline is one of the hormones produced in the human body. It is secreted by the adrenal glands in situations that people call stressful. In other words, this hormone helps to mobilize and gain additional physical and psychological capabilities to overcome the situation. Without adrenaline, a person will never experience that surge of strength that helps to cope with all sorts of difficulties in this life. But at the same time, we cannot allow the level of adrenaline in the blood to be constantly elevated; this has a very negative effect on health.

How to get out of such a situation when stress is inevitable and needs to be overcome, but at the same time you want not to lose your health? How can you reduce your adrenaline levels without losing your ability to act actively in emergency situations?

Men and adrenaline

Records for the sake of records make you think. Adventure seekers cross the Sahara Desert, where the temperature usually rises to +49 degrees Celsius, embark on long journeys across the ocean, reach the North and South Poles, and travel the length and breadth of the globe in all kinds of vehicles or on foot.

Climbers call their passion for conquering peaks a disease. Divers make deep-sea dives and set records for the duration of time spent under water. Speed ​​lovers set their highest achievements for each class of moving, floating, and aircraft.

It is generally accepted that women are attracted to the reckless behavior and senseless bravery of extreme men. But this is nothing more than a delusion. So say American scientists from the University of Maine. Their research showed that women are not at all impressed by “risky guys” who jump from bungee or from airplanes. Ladies prefer careful men. “If a man is respected by other men, women may like him because of his high status, but they don’t just like daredevils,” says one of the researchers, William Farthing.

According to one of the most common versions, men (by analogy with male animals) demonstrate their strength and courage in order to scare away potential rivals. But if this proven method works in the wild, then what can happen to civilized people?

Treatment methods

After receiving the next portion of adrenaline, a person experiences a decline in the activity of the hormone. Today, such addiction is not treated with medication.

If adrenaline addiction manifests itself in childhood, parents should think about which direction is best to direct their child’s excessive activity and aggression. This could be sports, study, interesting hobbies, etc.

For adult patients, psychotherapists recommend first recognizing your problem, then following a few simple rules:

1. Examine yourself from the inside and find out what your body suffers from lack of. Once you do some self-analysis, you can determine the cause of the addiction and develop a strategy to combat it.
2. Ability to switch quickly. As soon as thoughts about extreme sports come to your mind, you should switch to something else. This can be any non-labor-intensive activity that will help distract you and banish thoughts of chasing adrenaline. In sports, training that brings drive and great pleasure can be replaced by other types of training. They will bring not only pleasure to a person, but also invaluable benefits without the slightest harm.
3. Any novelty brought into your life will not only help you switch, but will also have a beneficial effect on your psychological health. New impressions, new information, new acquaintances, visiting new places will fill your life with pleasant emotions and contribute to the release of endorphins into the blood.

Risk group

Adrenaline addiction is popularly called “adrenaline addiction,” and those dependent on it are adrenaline addicts.

Often several categories of people suffer from this addiction:

• avid fans of music and sports;
• extreme sports enthusiasts (rock climbers, skydivers, those who like to dive with sharks without protection or insurance);
• lovers of non-standard travel (on a raft across the sea or ocean, hitchhiking across the country, etc.);
• representatives of the criminal world.

Those who need a constant dose of adrenaline specifically choose this profession for themselves (combatants, race car drivers, professional athletes).

Among special forces, firefighters and rescuers, there are also many people who belong to the group of adrenaline junkies.

Indications

The drug is recommended for the following pathologies:

• urticaria, anaphylaxis reaction (immediate type allergy), shock when using medications, blood transfusions, administration of serums, vaccines;
• allergies to food, insect bites, contact with allergens;
• bronchospasm when using anesthesia or during an asthma attack;
• complete blockade of impulses in the heart muscle, cessation of contractions (asystole);
• bleeding due to injury to the skin and mucous membranes;
• pressure drop due to shock, trauma, sepsis, failure of kidney function, heart failure, surgery;
• overdose of drugs for hypertension, insulin;
• in combination with painkillers with local anesthesia;
• glaucoma, ophthalmological operations.

Atrioventricular block

How to reduce

You can avoid constant adrenaline surges and the harmful effects of adrenaline on the body both without the help of medications and using medications.

If you try to do without medications, then, first of all, you need to protect yourself from unnecessary stressful situations, from unnecessary increased stress, both physiological and psychological. The popular wisdom that says: don’t get into trouble is very appropriate here. You cannot force the body to always work at its limit; you need to provide it with proper rest, sleep and nutrition.

You definitely need to switch to a healthy lifestyle with an established sleep and nutrition schedule. And even such seemingly little things as regular exercise every morning and a walk in the fresh air before bed have an extremely beneficial effect on the body. If you wish, you can do yoga and auto-training. This will help cope with stress, which, of course, is unlikely to be completely avoided.

If you need a medicinal solution to the problem, then only a doctor should prescribe medications. Self-medication can cause irreparable harm to health, and, in addition, medications can reduce the effect of adrenaline, but do not block its production by the adrenal glands. Therefore, it is much better to drink herbal teas with mint, motherwort, and also take baths with herbal infusions before bed.

The release of adrenaline (epinephrine) is caused by stressful situations occurring in our lives. Anxiety, worry, a sense of danger and fear - all this triggers a surge of hormones in the body: be it a parachute jump, an attack in a dark alley, or a cat that suddenly rushes at your feet.

When the condition normalizes and the brain gives the command that there is nothing to worry about, it begins to decline. But have you ever thought about what the release of adrenaline entails, whether it is purely beneficial or whether irreparable harm is possible?

The adrenaline hormone jumps not only when someone or something really threatens a person’s life

An external aggressive environment or nervous work forces a person to constantly be in a stressful state. This depletes the body, causing a surge of adrenaline, so it is important to be able to disengage and rest. Relaxation techniques successfully cope with this mission

For greater effectiveness, it is recommended to take action immediately after the first signs appear.

This reaction has accompanying sensations that can be used to recognize a hormonal surge. Symptoms of adrenaline release:

• Cardiopalmus. As a rule, in response to stress, the heart begins to beat more intensely.
• Dyspnea. This is especially noticeable in those who do not suffer from such an illness in their everyday life. Feeling short of air, rapid breathing, inability to take a deep breath.
• Increased sweating. Areas particularly susceptible to this manifestation are the armpits and palms.
• Decreased vision. Vision deteriorates for a while, and objects around you may become blurry or foggy.
• Headaches and pain in the chest area.
• Fatigue caused by sleep disorders, in particular insomnia.

The symptoms are quite general, however, knowing them, one can assume that an adrenaline rush will soon occur. The more often a similar situation occurs, the better a person recognizes his feelings and understands what will happen in a matter of moments.

Symptoms

The first signs of “adrenaline melancholy” are lethargy, apathy, and decreased appetite. Symptoms of illness include a number of signs:

• trembling in the arms and legs;
• anxiety;
• irritability;
• involuntary compression of the stomach;
• continuous headache;
• laryngeal spasms;
• exhaustion, exhaustion;
• waking up at night;
• increased sweating;
• inability to concentrate;
• frequent attacks of anger;
• cardiopalmus;
• dry mouth.

Such physiological manifestations are most often observed in mentally ill people and are accompanied by emotional impulses - irritability, feelings of shame and melancholy. Those who claim that the disease of adrenaline excess exists believe that it is provoked by dysfunction of the adrenal glands - insufficiency of the cortex.

At the same time, the person as a whole remains healthy, only “emotionally burns out”, every event is perceived with great difficulty, it becomes more difficult to communicate with other people, any situation puts the patient into a stupor, makes him worry about every little thing, provoking the production of the hormone.

“Adrenaline melancholy” causes changes in body weight, body pain, shortness of breath, increased urination, and sensitivity of the scalp. Such changes can cause other serious diseases.

How to reduce adrenaline levels

It is important to remember that stimulation of the adrenal glands, where adrenaline is produced, occurs during feelings of fear, anxiety caused by the influence of dangerous situations, and stress. In some cases, to achieve an effect, it is enough to eliminate the threat or distract from the source of anxiety

For example, if the reason that adrenaline is produced in excess is due to oversaturated workdays, a day off may be the solution to the problem.

The following will also help reduce hormone production:

• Physical exercise (swimming, running);
• Removal from bustle and adventure;
• Avoiding the manifestation of strong emotions and arguments;
• Taking harmless sedatives (valerian, motherwort);
• Leisurely walks in the air;
• Performing relaxation exercises;
• Listening to calm, melodic music;
• Taking warm baths (with the possible addition of oils);
• Adjusting your diet to reduce the amount of sweets and sugar consumed.

It is noted that fruits and vegetables reduce the level of the hormone in the blood. Fresh mint and dairy products (kefir, cottage cheese, yogurt) also work. At the same time, black tea and coffee stimulate the nervous system.

Proper nutrition

The level of the hormone cortisol in the blood usually rises around six to seven o'clock in the evening, reaches its highest point at 8 o'clock, and decreases to a minimum at night. In this regard, for health you need :

• eat heavily in the first half of the day, and leave lighter foods for the end of the day;
• exercise intensively only at the beginning and middle of the day.

Sometimes, as luck would have it, appetite does not come in the morning, which is also due to hormones - cortisol suppresses the desire to eat and provokes fatigue.

To regulate cortisol levels, you should set a regimen:

• breakfast – strictly until eight o’clock;
• at nine, eleven - a small snack;
• lunch from two to three so that cortisol does not decrease;
• dinner between five and six o'clock in the evening;
• An hour before bedtime, it is better to eat something “light” without sugar (cheese, vegetables, fruits).

Symptoms

When adrenaline is released in the body, certain physiological mechanisms are triggered:

• the frequency and strength of heart contractions increases, which allows blood to be “supplied” more actively and in larger volumes to the tissues;
• a change occurs in the musculature of blood vessels;
• the intestinal muscles relax;
• pupils dilate.

If adrenaline is released into the blood for a long time, enlargement of the myocardium and skeletal muscles may occur. Against the background of intense protein metabolism, the body may begin to deplete.

A person can also determine an adrenaline surge based on subjective sensations. The symptoms are as follows:

• tachycardia,
• sudden release of large amounts of sweat,
• breathing problems (shortness of breath, rapid breathing),
• impaired vision sharpness due to accommodation spasm (the lens of the eye loses the ability to “sharpen”),
• headache and heart pain.

With frequent and violent release of adrenaline, a person begins to experience chronic fatigue, it is already difficult for him to do routine work, and he develops insomnia. Along with this, there is an increase in the pain threshold: the body becomes less sensitive to pain.

All this has an extremely negative impact on health, and if a person observes these symptoms, it means it’s time to think about how to reduce adrenaline in the blood. If it constantly stands out, then:

• hypertension develops;
• the processes of inhibition intensify, since, in contrast to adrenaline, the production of norepinephrine begins to bring the body into a state of hormonal balance;
• the risk of stroke or heart attack increases in a completely healthy person due to a sharply increasing load on the heart and blood vessels;
• and worst of all, a condition called adrenal insufficiency can occur, which can lead to cardiac arrest.

In addition, excess adrenaline has the same effect on the body as large doses of alcohol. With all the ensuing consequences.

You can accurately determine whether increased adrenaline is occurring using blood and urine tests. The accuracy of the analysis is ensured if certain requirements are met for three days before taking the tests:

• not to drink,
• no smoking,
• do not drink alcohol or medications containing alcohol,
• avoid stress and heavy physical activity,
• do not take caffeine, nitroglycerin and some other drugs (the doctor must give a complete list),
• and also avoid eating bananas and chocolate.

Adrenaline mania

Adrenaline addiction: passion or addiction?
Adrenaline mania is a passion for danger and risk. But in essence, it is overcoming the feeling of fear of increased danger to one’s health and life in a state of excitement.

dependent personality disorder, adrenaline mania

Freedom and independence, one’s own choice are extremely important for adrenaline junkies. Their motto: “You have to try everything in life yourself!” Their goal is to “chase adrenaline.” This gives grounds for experts to talk about adrenaline addiction as a form of emotional dependence.

How to reduce adrenaline levels

Medicines

Taking medications will help reduce the concentration of adrenaline in the blood. This option is best suited for patients who are nervous and prone to stress. Such people are forced to constantly face various challenges; with a prolonged increase in the concentration of the hormone, a medical approach and medication are required.

Medicines:

• Moxonidine - helps reduce the content of adrenaline secreted by the adrenal glands;
• Reserpine - characterized by a gradual effect that resembles physiological processes and affects nerve endings;
• Octadine - slowly reduces the concentration of adrenaline in the blood.

When adrenaline levels are reduced, beta-blockers are also used, which are prescribed for hypertension, as well as for the prevention of strokes and heart attacks.

Medicines have a variety of effects on the body; doctors note a positive effect on the heartbeat.

As part of complex therapy, medications are prescribed whose action is aimed at getting rid of neurotic disorders. The preparations contain natural ingredients, they are great for helping with increased excitability.

Other methods to reduce adrenaline levels

Before starting therapy, the doctor asks about your lifestyle; some physical therapy techniques will help improve the situation.

Effective ways:

1. Lie on a flat horizontal surface on your back, imagine joyful pictures in your head of how you can engage in relaxation and other enjoyable things. At the same time, it is recommended to relax, tense the muscles, and repeat periodically with all muscles.
2. Look out the window, focus on the beauty of nature. Talk to relatives and friends, make sure that all problems can be solved.
3. Try to radically change your lifestyle. If the level of adrenaline increases excessively during communication, you should change the field of activity. If unpleasant sensations are associated with close people, you should think about breaking up and stopping contacts.
4. Normalization of sleep and activity patterns. If you have problems falling asleep, it is recommended to take a regular shower, ventilate the room, and drink a glass of milk. The body gradually adapts to this lifestyle and a conditioned reflex is formed. In some cases, it is possible to change sleep and rest patterns. Going to bed should occur no later than 10 pm, waking up at 8 am. Massage - prescribed according to medical indications, improvements are observed almost immediately. Yoga - promotes relaxation, after performing exercises the body is saturated with oxygen.
5. Gymnastics outdoors or in a ventilated room. Exercises can be anything.
6. Positive attitude - reading funny stories, avoiding negative emotions.
7. Sometimes folk recipes are used; the use of folk remedies is recommended to be agreed in advance with a doctor.

Psychological portrait of an adrenaline addict

Since childhood, adrenaline addicts have an energetic character, are difficult to control, have problems with discipline, do not tolerate objections, and love risks. These are individualists with their own value system. The main criterion for them is the excitement they experience during danger.

Physically strong, look courageous. By psychological type - extroverts, they act decisively and toughly. It is unusual for them to worry or care about others; their sense of guilt is dulled. They do not worry about the future, preferring to live one day at a time.

The highest jump was made on August 7, 1998 by Stig Günther from a height of 104.55 m into an inflatable rubber boat. And in 1999, in Copenhagen, he also set a record for the longest burning: completely engulfed in flames, he “burned” without oxygen supply for 2 minutes 6 seconds.

Mechanism of action

Adrenaline affects vital processes by irritating alpha and beta adrenergic receptors. Muscle contraction, vascular tone and mental state depend on their excitation. The effect of adrenaline on the body depends on the nature and degree of influence on these receptors. The list of nerve fiber sensors that conduct impulses to all organs:

• α1 – located in the tissues of arteries and smooth muscles. When it is excited, the pupils dilate and visual acuity increases.
• α2 – is responsible for vascular tone. When this receptor is exposed to adrenaline, the lumen in the blood vessels narrows, which causes paleness of the face and limbs. In a stressful situation, a person’s hands are cold to the touch and have signs of marbling. The vasoconstrictor effect is necessary for muscle tissue to receive a large volume of blood. There is enough nutrition and energy to repel an attack or escape, provided that the vascular bed is well filled.
• β1 is a sensor of cardiac muscle automaticity. The work of the heart depends on the work of the adrenal glands and how adrenaline acts on β1. Irritation of the receptor causes an increase in heart rate and an increase in the force of shocks.
• β2 is a receptor for controlling respiration and carbohydrate metabolism. It is found in the tissues of the bronchi, the body of the uterus, and liver cells and stimulates the processes of glucose production.
• β3- this receptor is found in adipose tissue cells and is responsible for the mechanism of lipid breakdown. After eliminating stress, people's appetite increases, this is due to irritation of β3 receptors and acceleration of metabolism.

The release of adrenaline causes overexcitation of adrenergic receptors and gives a person strength and power for a short time. The effect lasts from 2 to 5 minutes. They are enough to repel an attack, escape or find cover.

After the hormone splashes out, relaxation sets in, body tremors and hand tremor appear. Artificially created stress (jumping from heights, car racing, quests for teenagers) has a similar effect on a person. After entertainment of this kind, a state of euphoria is felt. In medicine, there are known cases of adrenaline addiction, which is accompanied by a lack of satisfaction from life without risk. Euphoria after tension is why people face fear.

The danger of repeated stress lies in the wear and tear of muscles and blood vessels. The impact of large doses of adrenaline on the human body affects health in a negative way.

Attention! When voluntarily creating conditions for feelings of fear that provoke the release of adrenaline into the blood, you need to know that a regular excess of the substance in most cases threatens a hypertensive crisis and heart failure and can result in cardiac arrest

How to get rid of adrenaline addiction:

1. Find out what you're really missing. You need to start by exploring the emptiness inside. What should be there instead? What exactly is missing? When did this emptiness first appear, what events in your life was it associated with? How have you filled your life before in a way that made you feel fulfilled and alive? What changed? What is missing? Truthful answers to these questions will enable you to choose the right strategy for recovery from adrenaline addiction.

2. Learn to switch. As soon as you realize that some activity is absorbing you, that it is no longer so interesting and pleasant for you to do it, but rather that it is pulling you in with some unknown forces and will not let you go, stop and do something else. This may be no less time-consuming activity, but while your consciousness is occupied with it, you will have time to understand the motives for your actions in the previous step and determine whether this pursuit of the next dose of adrenaline is really necessary. By replacing part of your training with other types of vigorous activity, you will get drive without harm to the body.

Often this addiction develops in girls who, in pursuit of beauty (and not Olympic records), visit the gym every day, sometimes even twice a day. In such a situation, the motive for training quickly becomes not the achievement of the desired appearance, but the feeling of drive, uplift and subsequent relaxation that training gives. It is not a sin to strive for these sensations, however, having lost their measure, girls become dependent on training (they devote all their free time to it, continue to exercise even after injuries, feel unhappy if they have to miss a training session). By replacing part of your training with other activities, you will get the same drive, but without harm to the body.

3. Find new activities that make you feel alive and fulfilled. The most important thing that should be in all these types of activities is novelty. Any new impressions, new information, new skills will not only saturate your life, but also contribute to your mental health, because the effect of novelty leads to the release of endorphins - the hormones of happiness - into the blood. With adrenaline addiction, we receive endorphin after the fact: when a large amount of adrenaline is released and its effect needs to be somehow mitigated, the body produces the hormone of happiness. Any new impressions, new information, new skills are a way to get a dose of endorphins

Instead, you can hit the target directly - achieve endorphin directly, bypassing massive doses of adrenaline. This will be helped by traveling to new places (not necessarily to the other side of the world, but even just to a neighboring area of ​​the city), relaxing in beautiful corners of nature, active sports, communicating with people, meeting in clubs of similar interests, mastering a new profession, new skills. (for example, learning a foreign language or learning how to create websites), reading interesting books, and perhaps even writing your own (not for sale, but for yourself, for personal creativity).

Stages of love addiction

1. Euphoria from meeting the object of addiction and intense love. The addict constantly has thoughts and fantasies about his lover spinning in his head. The love addict is incredibly happy and believes in a happy future with his partner.
2. Insatiability – communication with a partner becomes insufficient for the addict, he wants to increase the “dose”.
3. Disappointment and dissatisfaction - the love addict begins to notice the shortcomings of his partner, that he is not the same as the addict has imagined. And understand that the relationship does not suit him. Thoughts about breaking up begin to occur to him. But he doesn’t really leave the relationship because he hopes that his partner can still become different.
4. The addict tries to change his lover. He begins to be driven by the hope that he can change. And he tries different ways to reach him so that he becomes what the addict needs.
5. Trying to change your partner leads nowhere. The love addict becomes even more disappointed and despairs. The relationship is causing him more and more suffering.
6. An addict breaks up with a partner. But unable to withstand the state of “withdrawal”, he again returns to the object of his addiction