'The adrenaline and stress of an adventure are better than a thousand peaceful days.'
Paulo Coelho 

From a biological point of view an adrenaline rush is part of our physical defense system. Adrenaline prepars our body for a fight-or-flight reaction (defense or flee) in threatening and stressful environments. 

How come that we sometimes decide to put ourselves voluntarily in stressful situations - to get the ultimate adrenaline kick? 

What is an adrenaline rush?

Adrenaline - also called epinephrine - is a stress hormone. It plays a major role in preparing our body for the so called fight-or-flight reactions in dangerous, alarming or stressful situations of all kind. When we experience an adrenaline rush, then a sudden increase in the secretion of that hormone from the adrenal glands is happening. 

An adrenaline rush occurs when the brain communicates to the glands that there will be a need for a defense or escape response. 

The cause of an adrenaline rush doesn´t need to be a real physical threat. It can also be an imagined dangerous or stressful situation. We all know that from watching a horror movie or are standing at a window on the 100th floor of a building. No real danger is threatening us, regardless we feel the increasing adrenaline level. 

5 physical symptoms of an adrenaline rush 

1. We don´t feel pain

Adrenaline is able to protect our body. If you have ever been seriously injured, then there is a good chance that, initially, you did not feel pain. Even if you suffered considerably - like breaking a bone, for instance - your body would help to protect you from the pain, and the adrenaline rush stops any kind of pain. 

Do you know the movie '127 hours' which is based on a true story? The guy that gut stucked in a crevice cut his own arm in order to get out of it. This was only possible thanks to the above mentioned adrenaline´s superpower. 

2. We experience a sudden boost of energy

If you have ever played sports, you know that you are usually more likely to be super pumped up on the very beginning of the match. This is just because the adrenaline gives us a large amount of energy as the body releases glucose and sugar directly into our bloodstream.

3. We notice an increase in our strength

People who experience an adrenaline rush during an emergency situation have been known to do some really crazy things. Simply think about people who have lifted entire cars off the bodies of injured children. An adrenaline rush is able to gives us a great deal of strength throughout our body - we all suddenly become superheroes. 

4. Adrenaline heightens our senses

From our vision over smell to touch, our senses will be dramatically sensitized when we are undergoing an adrenaline rush. 

5. Our breathing increases 

Everything happens extremely fast during an adrenaline rush. That´s why our breathing and our heart rate will jump all at once. Our blood pressure will go up, too. We even may start to sweat to prevent our muscles from getting overworked during the process. 

Why we can´t get enough of it 

People who are constantly seeking adventure have a particularly strong need for stimulation.  

That need can be just a personality quirk. It is said that people with domineering A-type-personalities are more likely to crave risk-taking. In some cases, though, the adventure hunting can be the product of a mental health condition. A person with 'attention deficit' (ADHD), for instance, might use adrenaline kicks as kind of a self-medication, stimulating physical needs by adventurous kicks. 

No drugs without side effects - The post-rush depression 

There is nothing inherently wrong with being an adventurer, especially if you aren´t a 'freak', take the relevant safety precautions and behave reasonably cautious. For some of these risk-takers, though, adventure can become an addiction. They simpley cannot stop hunting the next kick, and everything else becomes unimportant to them. They sometimes get lost inside their adrenaline world, jumping from one kick to the next.

The dilemma: after the thrill is gone, adrenaline-seeking individuals may experience a post-rush crash that yields feelings of depression or inadequacy. This - much like a person’s tolerance to other substances or activities increases with addiction - can necessitate taking even bigger and more frequent risks. 

As always balance is the key. But remember: we only live once... 

To be honest, I am one of these risk-takers that crave for adrenaline from time to time. I did bungee jumping, skydiving and houserunning which were surely some of the extremest experiences I have ever lived.
3 years ago I started surfing, doing these high-risk extreme sports where every day is different, external conditions can change from one second to another and where you have do deal with one of the most powerful elements on Earth: water. The insane part: I had always been afraid of water. 

I can´t describe what urges me on doing these things. Maybe it´s the above mentioned strong need for stimulation that motivates me to constantly step over the edge, to find out where my limits are - and then exceed them. Whatever it is, I fully enjoy living this adventurous, exciting and extraordinary life. With every breath. 

I hope you enjoyed the rush...:-)
Cheers,
Marly -

Picture sources:
Title: https://i.ytimg.com/
Quote superpower: http://i.quoteaddicts.com/
127 hours movie: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/
Norway: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/
Life is adventure quote: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/