As you are undoubtedly aware, there is a pronounced tendency on the part of many recovering alcoholics and addicts to become “adrenaline junkies.” As we all know from personal experience, the surge of adrenaline rushing through our system can produce a profound sense of well-being. When the adrenaline is coursing through our veins we tend to feel fully alive, efficient, sharp and alert — with all systems raring to go.

Many (if not most) people with addictive disorders crave excitement, and feel a need to “live on the edge” all the time — even after they have entered into recovery. In fact, many treatment authorities believe that learning to live without constantly kicking one’s adrenaline into overdrive can be as great a challenge for people in recovery as learning to live without alcohol or drugs. Manifestations of adrenaline addiction that I have personally witnessed include recovering alcoholics who have taken jobs as bartenders, or who literally become addicted to reckless driving at excessive speeds in rushing from point A to point B. And as you may have noticed, people working in the treatment field are by no means immune to this insidious disease.

Unfortunately, we live in a highly competitive, pressure cooker society that places a premium on the hyper-aggressive behaviors that feed our adrenaline addictions. For example, if you live in Southern California, as I did for many years, it is virtually impossible to drive on the freeways without kicking your adrenal glands into full gear — unless you are commuting to or from work during rush hour, in which case you must assiduously practice the acceptance part of the Serenity Prayer as a sheer matter of survival.

Just as water seeks its own level, hard-core adrenaline junkies are attracted to high-pressure jobs and professions, and often create an endless series of crises in their lives in order to avoid slowing down (and facing who they really are). They also experience great difficulty in setting appropriate boundaries between their work and family lives, to the dismay of their spouses and children. They tend to be attracted to risky behaviors of all sorts — compulsive gambling, skydiving and hang gliding, and risky romantic liaisons — anything and everything to keep the adrenaline rushing through their systems!

The diets of adrenaline junkies are typically abysmal, as they have a strong propensity for overdosing on caffeine and sugary snacks of all sorts and virtually live on junk food. They also set themselves up for chronic sleep deprivation by constantly burning the candle at both ends.

Treatment professionals need to be sensitized to the potential role of adrenaline addiction in setting the stage for relapse to clients’ former drugs of choice. The dietary deficits and chronic sleep deprivation that often accompanies adrenaline addiction, together with the cumulative stress overload, all serve as potential triggers for relapse. In addition, the enhanced alertness and euphoria accompanying an adrenaline high tends to mimic the “rush” associated with ingesting speed, cocaine and other stimulant drugs. When this becomes a compulsive pattern, it can increase the likelihood of return to stimulant use.

Counselors also need to be aware of potential adverse ramifications of adrenaline addiction affecting their clients’ physical health status. Indeed, the hard-driving, hyper vigilant behavior and constant agitation associated with “constantly running our adrenals on overdrive” can increase the likelihood of heart disease, if this is left unchecked. This is particularly true if other risk factors are present, such as cigarette smoking, obesity and hypertension. And I have learned from personal experience that a constant adrenaline overload definitely serves to deplete our immune response.

In short, being an adrenaline junkie is extremely disruptive to one’s serenity and prospects for attaining long-term sobriety, in addition to posing serious risks to both our mental-emotional and physical well-being. To be honest, we are all adrenaline junkies at one level or another — it’s really a matter of degree.

Breaking the cycle
The following tips are offered to help in breaking this cycle:

• Listen to your body — Tune into your bodily signals that indicate that stress is building up; and do something to break the cycle, such as deep breathing and/or taking a temporary “time out” from a highly stressful situation to bring yourself back to center. Regular physical exercise is by far the best stress-buster available to most of us. Regular practice of meditation, yoga or tai-chi can also help break the cycle of chronic adrenaline overdrive. We should also take care to minimize our exposure to “nutritional stressors” — particularly caffeine and sugar.

• Remember that balance is the key — Set reasonable limits on your work-related expectations and energy expenditure, and strive to balance your work with healthy doses of rest and recreation. We over-achieving types need to constantly remind ourselves that when we die, our in-box will still be full!

• Practice the Serenity Prayer, and constantly remind yourself that “life is not an emergency.”
• Consciously bring yourself back to center by spending time in nature — When I get caught up in my own adrenaline addiction, I find it helpful to take a walk through the lagoon in front of our house, or to simply sit on our lawn — watching the blue herons, seagulls and other birds flying over the water.

Finally, it behooves us to pay attention to working our program and practicing the slogans — particularly, “Easy Does It” and “One Day at a Time.” And, keep it simple. For most of us, probably the most effective way to keep our adrenaline in check is to consciously give thanks for our many blessings on a daily basis, while constantly reminding ourselves to SLOW DOWN and smell the roses.

As always, please feel free to share this article with anyone who might benefit from the message. Until next month — to your health!

John Newport, PhD,is a freelance writer, wellness counselor, speaker and consultant based in Port Townsend, Wash. He is the author of The Wellness — Recovery Connection: Charting our Pathway to Optimal Health While Recovering from Alcoholism and Drug Addiction. To contact him or obtain more information on wellness and recovery, visit his website at wellnessandrecovery.com.

This article is published in Counselor,The Magazine for Addiction Professionals, August 2006, v.7, n.4, pp.52-53.

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