Adrenaline Addiction

[no_more_fear]

Hi all  ,

For a long time I believed I was a freeze type and it took me coming off cigarettes and nicotine to get serious. Cigarettes actually caused me to go into an EF or at least a hyper-adrenalised state which meant I therefore couldn't see things clearly. I was addicted to this state of being. When I hit a low point I finally realised I'm a partial flight type and addicted to adrenaline. I didn't want to give up my drug of choice so failed to admit it before. I have quite bad adrenal fatigue and am following a new diet to counteract it. I'm very addicted to sugar as it causes a small high and it's proving hard to kick.

I haven't been out of the house since last week and am feeling a huge desire to go out in order to get a release of adrenaline. I was wondering if anyone has any actionable advice on how to beat this? I'm sick of living like this and constantly doing risky things in order to get a buzz. Can anyone relate?

Thanks.

[89abc123]

I can DEFINITELY relate.

The only way I can understand it is this...

I'm also a freeze type. I constantly  think/daydream to the point where my brain literally never ever shuts off. Ever.

The only thing that is powerful enough to get me outside of my own head is an adrenaline rush. In my younger party animal days this was getting drunk and taking amphetamines. After a serious DUI where I wrote off 2 vehicles and after some serious therapy work I no longer rely on these things and have found it's not the rush I'm really trying to achieve, it's getting outside of my own head that is the goal of these risky behaviours (and I guess getting away from feeling negative emotions)

A great way I found to solve this problem is weight training in the gym with a personal trainer. I'm fully engaged with him for the whole session and when I go by myself, counting the reps of my excersises is a form of mindfulness. I can't think when I'm counting. Another great one is indoor rock climbing.

I'm a female as well by the way, so as you can imagine the drinking and doing drugs was extremely unattractive, and the gym is a lot healthier and I go into less shame spirals because I'm not embarrassing myself constantly.

[Dee]

I can also relate.  In the past I have used cutting, burning, and unhealthy running to give me that rush.  I did it to the point my Dr. tried to prescribe me a medication that would mimic it.  When I did those behaviors, and got the rush, I was numbing my emotions.  Now, I am learning to sit with them and ride them out.

I keep a list of things to do to get me through that rough patch.  Often it is breathing, essential oils, therapy putty, and getting some fresh air.  Still, it was really just learning to sit with uncomfortable emotions.