The Sensation Seeking Epidemic

The sensation seeking epidemic – dopamine and adrenaline addictions

The more I allow myself to be who I am, the more I have deep, open, and vulnerable conversations with others. The more I have deep conversations with others, the more I am able to learn from them and our conversations.

Story time

It’s a very common day on a random week, when I find myself in my physiotherapist’s office talking about life. Jumping from one topic to another, he finally tells me something I will never forget. He goes like: “I think you might be addicted to adrenaline”.

At first, my reaction was to deny the thing. I started to find every possible excuse or proof in my favor, anything that would disconfirm what he had just said. Then, once I got home after the appointment, I reflected on the statement one more time. I got really honest with myself. As I was reflecting on the person I was/am, I did find the strength to admit that perhaps, what he said was in part true.

Many times in the past I found myself seeking high sensations – anything that would bring me some form of stimulation. I realized that deep down, I always was (and still am) craving to be challenged. I crave the feeling you get after being challenged. It’s all about the adrenaline and dopamine rushes, the highs, the lows, the novelty, the unpredictability.

No matter how many times I tell myself that I hate unpredictability – because of the lack of control – my brain actually loves it and is addicted to its own anxiety. I constantly find myself in places or situations that put me in a position where I lack control. However, I also find myself able to take some of that control back. That’s where the challenge kicks in. The result? Subconsciously, I think that I am seeking people, places, or situations that stimulate my brain’s dopamine or adrenaline receptors and leave me wanting for more.

The awareness that came from that simple statement – “I think you might be addicted to adrenaline” – sparked my curiosity. It made me ask myself deeper questions, such as:

Where is that adrenaline or dopamine addiction coming from?
How is that serving me?
When else in the past was I lacking control?
What is sensation seeking giving me that peace and tranquility don’t?

Sensation seeking

What it means to be a sensation seeker

Sensation seekers are driven to conquer new challenges and opportunities life throws at them. They usually do not fear danger, which is why they enjoy pursuing new, different and intense sensations or experiences. Although risk and danger do not stop them from going into uncertain, uncharted territory, these are not the main motivators: novelty is.

Indeed, for a sensation seeker, it is novelty that motivates them to engage in activities that spark joy, fulfillment, and expand one’s confidence and sense of self. In addition, there is evidence that sensation seekers are resilient individuals due to the challenges they put themselves through. By pushing themselves out of their comfort zones, sensation seekers tend to see obstacles as challenges rather than threats. This is a powerful mindset to have, one that reduces stress.

Are you a sensation seeker?

If you see yourself in the following list, chances are you are a sensation seeker:

You are always looking for something that makes you feel excited or stimulated
You enjoy trying new things and experiences
You enjoy challenges
You get bored with routine
You tend to go on travels spontaneously

In addition to the above list, psychologists say that sensation seeking is not just about looking for external stimulation. It is also about wanting unique experiences. What they found was that many sensation seekers are sensitive individuals. This means they are sensitive to their experiences and choose to maximize them. These sensations can come from food, emotions, physical activities, or even other people. Hence, sensation seeking can dictate the way someone lives their life, makes choices, and the people they hang out with.

The science behind sensation seeking

You probably heard of dopamine and dopamine addiction before – especially after the rise of social media. Dopamine is one of the brain’s main neurotransmitters. It is involved in pleasure and reward seeking, including the seeking of strong emotions and sensations. Social media is reinforcing in nature. It increases the release of dopamine in your brain’s reward center every time you use it and get likes. This means that the more you are on socials, the more you want it – which is how an addiction is created.

The same way too much dopamine can lead to mental health problems, a lack of dopamine is not ideal. In fact, it can lead to certain mental conditions and emotion regulation problems.

Dopamine also regulates avoidance-approach behaviors in humans. In other words, the extent to which people approach or avoid novel and intense situations. Studies have shown that based on dopamine levels, some individuals may be more or less inclined to make sensory stimulating choices and seek sensory stimulating situations.

The role of adrenaline

According to psychology, being an adrenaline junkie means to enjoy thrilling, exciting, or intense activities that release the hormone adrenaline. Adrenaline is in charge of the fight or flight reaction that often occurs when a person is in danger. That is, adrenaline is what allows the person to either fight the danger or flee from it. However, adrenaline is also released in the body when someone is excited or emotionally charged. Our body’s reaction when adrenaline is released often includes:

Increased heart rate and sweating
Increased attention and mental sharpness
Increased strength
Increased pain tolerance

An adrenaline junkie who enjoys these kinds of sensations will therefore engage in activities that release adrenaline to keep chasing the feeling. Dependency from this feeling comes into play when the person can’t stop doing these activities because of the happiness and euphoria they feel afterwards.

Evidence also suggests that an unconscious need for stimulation, which is often characteristic of an adrenaline junkie, can affect a person’s everyday behaviors. In desperate need of stimulation, an adrenaline junkie may create drama in every situation so as to trigger the body’s stress response and experience similar adrenaline-inducing feelings.

Adrenaline vs dopamine

Being an adrenaline junkie – or being addicted to adrenaline – is somewhat different from being dopamine addicted (at least when it comes to sensation seeking). What differentiates adrenaline addiction from other addictions is the absence of withdrawal symptoms. These include physical sensations, intense craving, negative emotions (e.g. frustration, anxiety) and loss of interest for other (not as stimulating) activities.

Takeaways

The main message from this blog post is that sensation seeking is not necessarily a bad thing. Unless someone is putting his own or others’ health and well-being in danger, looking for novel, stimulating experiences can increase one’s confidence and resilience.

At the same time, if we place sensation seeking on a continuum, it is important not to go to one of either extremes. Facing challenges can be beneficial. However, if one is getting addicted to the adrenaline or dopamine rushes that follow a challenging experience, the person might be no longer able to enjoy less stimulating activities. This might be worth taking a look at through coaching.