“Adrenaline junkie is a term used to describe somebody who appears to be addicted to epinephrine and such a person is sometimes described as getting a ‘high’ from life. The term ‘Adrenaline Junkie’ was popularly used in the 1991 movie Point Break in reference to people who favor dangerous activities for the adrenaline rush that accompanies them.” (source: wikipedia.org)
Although adrenaline junkie is a term that describes someone who is addicted to thrilling and fear-inducing situations, you don’t have to be a sky diver, F1 driver or a marine to be hooked on the rush that comes from a little stress. In fact, adrenaline junkies come in much more subtle forms. Everyday adrenaline junkie is much more common than the indestructible stuntman film character types. They tend to cause crisis situations in their lives, either consciously or unconsciously to get the rush from the excitement. These are the people who work best under pressuring and stressful circumstances. An example of the everyday adrenaline junkie could be a student or a worker who waits until the last minute to begin a project and then has to really struggle to get it done on time.
Of course not every hard working person is an adrenaline junkie. Some people seem to experience crisis after crisis and always over schedule themselves.
Everyday adrenaline junkies or stressed workers?
Some research has shown that babies who are deprived of oxygen at birth sometimes grow up to develop a higher need for stimulation. They tend to become risk takers much more often than regular children. While research strategies can’t precisely say that the lack of oxygen at birth creates an adrenalin surge that the individual then continues to try and recreate, that is one theory that is being examined by the scientists.
Discussion topics:
- In your opinion is there a difference between how men and women perceive the fight and flight response?
- Do you think adrenaline addiction is something that should be treated and cured or is it just a personal quality that characterises a person?
- Are you an adrenaline junkie? http://stress.about.com/library/adrenaline/bl_adrenaline_self_test.htm
I don't believe there can be any differences how men and woman experience the adrenaline rush. We are still the same specie? Aren't we? :D
ReplyDeleteWhat is more I don't see any need to cure, people, who are said to be addicted to adrenaline. Could we even get addicted to our generic hormone that is produced by our bodies? I don't think so:)
Actually I fully fit in the description of a casual adrenaline junkie. I am the kind of person that procrastinates and leaves the chores/job/everything till the last moment. But no! I don't like the feeling of hurry and rush then.
There are differences between man and female brain so probably could be a difference between fight and flight response too. I think that a person who is addicted from adrenaline it's a person who can no longer accurately measure the risk. I found this - Adrenaline Addicts Anonymous is a Twelve Step recovery organization for adrenaline addicts. So if that organization exists it mean that people have problem with that.
ReplyDeleteAre you an adrenaline junkie? My Assessment: According to your answers, 7 out of 10 possible adrenaline triggers aren't a problem for you, for an adrenaline-resisting score of 70 percent. While you could be more of an adrenaline junkie, you may benefit from some changes.
As women are totally different from men, I think there must be also differences on how we perceive this fight or flight response.
ReplyDeletePersonally I am not this kind of man that likes adrenaline, I am rather calm and try to avoid stressful situtations. What I do like is funfair and all rollercoaster there. This kind of adrenaline I like.
You mentioned that students postpone their projects for last moment - I think it is not due to feel the adrenaline but lazyness ;) At least in my case ;P
In my opinion responses to fight or flight situations depend mostly on the person, not his gender. A calm person that tends to avoid risks is more likely to fight only in a small number of situations and sex has not much to do here.
ReplyDeleteI think some extreme cases of adrenaline addiction should be treated. During my last holiday in Turkey there was a guy in his thirties sliding on the slide into the pool for 8 hours a day. Apart from it being annoying it was visible that he had issues and required adrenaline.
Accoring to the adrenaline junkie test my score is as follows:
Your Assessment: According to your answers, 9 out of 10 possible adrenaline triggers aren't a problem for you, for an adrenaline-resisting score of 90 percent.
Good for you! You aren't too much of an adrenaline junkie.
Not bad I guesss.
I think the adrenaline works pretty similar to both genders. Maybe the difference is that women tend to be more sensitive, and then trigger more adrenaline production.
ReplyDeleteAdrenaline pretty much affects the human body, sometimes leading to exhaustion so it may be dangerous. Studies show that people, who are more susceptible to stress have more probability of heart attack or stroke. Adrenaline addiction may not kill instantly, but certainly affects the health in a long run, but it's always up to the patient if he or she will do with it. In my opinion, people should be encouraged to go on treatment of adrenaline addiction.
According to adrenaline junkie test, I am one. I just can't stand sitting and doing nothing, that's the fact, but a lot of my activities are planned in advance. I don't like the feeling of time pressure.
In my opinion there is a difference between how men and women perceive the fight and flight response. Men and women differ in many situations, despite of different chemistry and physique. Moreover men's obligation was to be a hunter and women's to be a homemaker, so it could also affect on our response to danger.
ReplyDeleteI think that adrenaline could addict, like drugs or alcohol. I don't know if there is a cure for this, because adrenaline is a natural substance in our body.
My test: You appear to be an adrenaline junkie. - so maybe I am ;)
I agree with @ Michal. There is no difference between how we react to adrenaline -woman or a man.
ReplyDeleteAs for the last two movies, people are nervous on malfunctioning hardware. I believe that we cannot fully trust - it's just hardware. For me, work under stress is mobilize. My work, Under the pressure of time, is more efficient.
I agree with Emilia, I also think there're diccetence between men and women perceive the fight and flight response: for example, women when they're stressed they break plate, throw many things to walls, screams (but when I'm stressed I've screaming, beating my pillow or destroy the paper into small pieces) and men's have much power, so you know..
ReplyDeleteAbout second question I think that adrenaline addiction a personal quality that characterises a person. But when person have everyday an situations with adrenaline.. it's normal, because we can to be alive with adrenaline, and someday adrenaline'll save yours life. So this is a indissoluble part of ours body ;)
My test: You appear to be an adrenaline junkie, but I don't feel that..
ROTFL! :D
ReplyDelete'Your Assessment: According to your answers, 0 out of 10 possible adrenaline triggers aren't a problem for you, for an adrenaline-resisting score of 0 percent.
You appear to be an adrenaline junkie. '
I've never thought about this but mayby some unpleasant situations in my life are caused beacouse of adrenaline adiction? I wonder if it's really a problem. I don't feel sick or something, I don't feel like I need some cure or medical treatment. I didn't even realized I'm addicted to it :D I think things like this changes with age. While we're young, we're full of energy and when we will be older we will like to sit and rest, plan things, etc.
I believe that there is no major difference in the reactions of women and men. Although the sexes are similar organisms. Although it often seems that the reaction of women to escape. Perhaps this is due to a subconscious desire to protect children. Male usually is stronger and therefore the weaker weapons women. And she enjoys.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the adrenaline is addictive. This is not an addiction that affects health. Do kills slowly as drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. In the case of extreme sports, this is a death fast. But I do not think it's wrong. In this way a person can know ourselves and find out for themselves. On the other hand I do not know if it is possible to fully cure this addiction. In the case of other addictions is the withdrawal of the drug. A need for adrenaline is not continuous, the council can not, for example, for a week to be in the habit without interruption.
But are people who derive the adrenaline of the job. For them it is life. It seems to me that this might just be a disease. This impedes normal functioning. Works are often saying "what you do today, make tomorrow, you will have a day off," so instead of doing something before, wait until the last moment, doing the best but not everything so that to happen.
Sometimes I feel like this. After each such situation, I feel sorry for myself that I could do something better. So I know what it might be tiring or unhealthy for those who do like that often.
In your opinion is there a difference between how men and women perceive the fight and flight response?
ReplyDeletead1) I don't think there's a difference. On the other hand, I haven't seen many women handling serious work/life problems well. As a matter of fact - statistically more women have depressions. So when I connect the dots - according to research women react better to stress but when they break it's pretty much final.
ad2) It's a personal matter. As long as it doesn't eat into other people's lives - it's fine with me.
ad3) Your Assessment: According to your answers, 6 out of 10 possible adrenaline triggers aren't a problem for you, for an adrenaline-resisting score of 60 percent.
You appear to be an adrenaline junkie. :(
Though I think the answers/questions were badly made. Always black/white with no shades of gray.
In my opinion adrenaline doesn't affect everyone in the same way. The simplest example is the fight in the street. Some are in a fit of adrenaline begin to fight, others flee and panic. It's determined by the situation in which they find and how strong they feel in a given situation. Likewise before jumping with a parachute, or downhill by bike from step hill.
ReplyDeleteOr even in everyday situations, the nerve, which require immediate decision, a person who knows something, has experience otherwise deal with adrenaline.
We also know that any organism can cope differently with adrenaline. But I think that gender has some influence on it, because more often react nervously meets a woman and women are more likely to drop out of the various types of operations, which produce adrenaline. Something like that must also be on the ground that it's much less frequently seen in women in extreme sports.
However, as regards the treatment of people who have a need to feel adrenaline is totally not needed. The body itself must learn to deal with this, except that I think many of these people have no intention to divest of adrenaline, because it gives them great pleasure to feel her.
According adrenaline junkie is a test ... It Seems That I am an adrenaline junkie, but, i do not feel it;)