{"id":24247,"date":"2014-05-24T06:00:27","date_gmt":"2014-05-24T13:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=24247"},"modified":"2015-05-14T22:05:17","modified_gmt":"2015-05-15T05:05:17","slug":"what-makes-a-risk-taker-crave-adrenaline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/what-makes-a-daredevil-crave-adrenaline-052414","title":{"rendered":"What Makes a Risk-Taker Crave Adrenaline?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"YoungWhile most social networking profiles are populated with photos of friends and family coupled with a few political or religious rants, it’s easy to spot the page of someone who enjoys risky behavior. These are the social networking profiles covered in photos of skydiving missions, rugged camping trips, and endless exotic travel. While these images can be appealing, they can occasionally be an indication that someone compulsively takes dangerous risks. In some circumstances, they may even have an addiction<\/a> to risk-taking. While most people are loathe to take on excessive risk every day, people who love the feeling of adrenaline\u00a0are always looking for\u00a0a life of adventure.<\/p>\n

Adrenaline and Stress <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Although adrenaline addiction isn’t a recognized diagnosis—and is unlikely to become one—the \u201cadrenaline junkie\u201d really does exist. Adrenaline, sometimes called norepinephrine, is a hormone<\/a> and neurotransmitter the body releases in large quantities during times of stress<\/a>. It’s adrenaline that enables the fight or flight response, and when the body starts releasing large quantities of adrenaline, some people experience a powerful \u201cadrenaline high.\u201d Although everyone produces adrenaline in response to stress, some people crave the process, while other people find an adrenaline dump stressful and uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

The Adrenaline Junkie Personality <\/strong><\/h2>\n

People who constantly seek adventure have a strong need for stimulation. This can be just a personality quirk. People with domineering type-A personalities are more likely to crave risk-taking. In some cases, though, a craving for adventure can be the product of a mental health condition. A person with attention deficit or ADHD<\/a>, for example, might need more stimulation than most people, and may resort to adventure-seeking as a form of self-medication. People with domineering type-A personality are more likely to have problematic risk-taking behavior.<\/p>\n

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The Post-Rush Crash<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There’s nothing inherently wrong with being a risk-taker, especially if you are reasonably cautious. For physical activities, this includes wearing a helmet, listening to an instructor, and taking other basic safety precautions.\u00a0 For some risk-takers, though, adventure can become an addiction. After the thrill is gone, risk-seeking individuals can experience a post-rush crash that yields feelings of depression<\/a> or inadequacy. This can necessitate taking bigger and more frequent risks—much like a person\u2019s tolerance to other activities or substances increases with addiction.<\/p>\n

Signs You Might Have Problematic Risk-Taking Behavior<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Daring physical risks, such as\u00a0skydiving or BASE\u00a0jumping, may be indicators of a distressing love of adrenaline,\u00a0 but these aren’t\u00a0the only ways people get\u00a0adrenaline rushes. Creating conflict in your personal life can also spur an adrenaline rush. Some other signs that risk-taking may be problematic include:<\/p>\n