If you consider yourself an adrenaline junkie, have you ever stopped to wonder why? Humans are funny creatures and most of us love to be scared. We enjoy speeding past limits, jumping off cliffs, and even starting fights. Here are the reasons why.
The History
When you find yourself in a dangerous situation your heart rate will speed up, your eyes will become focused, and you might even become a little sweaty. This is because of the adrenaline rushing through your body. The reason humans have this response brings us back to 6 million years ago when humans first started to develop. We are animals. So, we have an adrenaline rush to get our bodies ready to go into a state of fight or flight. Before we had things like shelter and easy access to food, all of the human race needed some response to help them survive in the wild.
The Science
When a threatening thing appears, your brain will send signals to release adrenaline. According to RosGlas Recovery, “The adrenal glands produce adrenaline by transforming the amino acid tyrosine into dopamine. Oxygenation of dopamine yields noradrenaline, which is converted into adrenaline. Adrenaline binds to receptors on the heart, arteries, pancreas, liver, muscles and fatty tissue.” When your body starts to release adrenaline it also releases dopamine. Adrenaline and dopamine are both neurotransmitters from the same family. This is why when you get scared you might feel a little happy at the same time.
Safety
Have you ever almost died? If you have I’m sure you would say the adrenaline that comes from that experience does not make you happy in the slightest. This is because there are different types of adrenaline. The good and the bad. Our brains know when we are safe and when we are in true danger.
If you really are in a life-threatening situation your brain will focus and the adrenaline will put you in a state of fight or flight. If you have ever been to an amusement park, I’m sure you’ve gone with a friend (maybe even you!) who is deathly afraid of roller coasters. These people do not like the experience of being flipped upside down in the air because internally they do not believe the ride is safe enough. So instead of releasing good adrenaline and dopamine, they get induced into a fight or flight situation. The bad adrenaline releases other neurotransmitters that can bring anxiety and depression.
So next time you make fun of a friend for being a scaredy cat, just know that it’s really Mother Nature’s way of keeping us all safe. If you are an adrenaline junkie, keep your temptations at it’s limits. Remember to stay safe and know the difference between fun and stupid decisions.
