I had not planned to hiking addiction, adrenaline addiction and extreme sports I'm speaking on the subject of excessive interest, but I recently received such a question, and I asked it publicly. In a group on the topic "why do so many single men sit at home instead of dating?", I couldn't resist and wrote porn addiction for more on this, see my book. Then a reader asked: "About hiking addiction is there a book on the subject? For example, how to get out of it when a woman gives you a choice: it's either her or hiking". I immediately replied that I would not with adrenaline addictioto deal with, there is a huge enough my porn addicted,my BDSM addicts,, sex addict,, my mobile phone addicts camp. I thought the with adrenaline addictioI would leave it to another professional...
No one writes anything about adrenaline addiction
However, I took pity on the questioner and just googled with adrenaline addictio word. I could hardly find anything. By then I was feeling the intellectual excitement I had felt in 2015 when I realised what a blind spot the pornography addiction, how neglected and ignored it is and must be the porn addicts, internet addicts because for the time being there is no one to help them in Hungary. Then I started to look into the subject and some people caught up: now others are writing about the masturbation addiction the topic is well known and in the public domain. This time, however, I rejected the idea of adrenaline addiction. I didn't want to be a pioneer on a 4th topic - with all the drawbacks that entails. But something happened that day...
A book leads to an understanding of the deficit in the soul of adrenaline addicts
That afternoon I visited the writer Julia Dékány. I like to exchange ideas with her, we really enjoy a lot of intellectual, abstract topics. We can discuss our intellectual disagreements in a civilised, troll-free way 🙂 . I picked up his book "Radnai is my boffin...!" and left happy with my loot, which I immediately threw myself on. And what was in the book? The way to the answer to the above question...
Julia Dekany suggests that extreme sports performers are unduly popular compared to survivors who have stood up to real life challenges: wars, labour camps. Many of them are not even remembered: they did not receive applause when they finished the stunt. How is it, then, that we can celebrate those who demonstrate extreme athletic prowess and at the same time not condemn the young men who dodged the chance to become real heroes by getting away with fictitious illnesses while serving in the army? I quote:
A "death leap" from a bridge, secured by new technical means and calculations, or paddling in a wild canyon (-) cannot be compared to the struggle for survival in a situation independent of the individual, worthy of a human being. (-) People who, driven by their confused personalities, seek the extreme "values" of their tolerance, often make not inconsiderable financial sacrifices for them.
The cause of adrenaline addiction is the heroic ancestor who set the bar high
This text inspired me to think further and find an explanation for the hiking addiction. I believe that many people want to be heroes, but there are some in whom it works particularly strongly. The reason for this lies in the ancestry. Here's what I think - without ever having delved into the psychology of adrenaline addiction: people who like extreme sports, who risk their lives, who hike too much or in too dangerous places are descendants (or at least lateral relatives) of survivors of former death camps. The extreme sportsmenhas a war hero in his family history who is a role model. He is someone the whole family deeply respects. You cannot follow in his footsteps. True, it is not possible in today's comfortable circumstances. Yet, the descendant, the successor wants to match the ancestor. He wants to experience the fate of his ancestor and hero, he wants to identify with him. Or would you like to feel the same respect and appreciation, given to the valiant grandfather in the family history. He fights a ghost for the first place in the family, but the fight is never-ending.
Among males, even in the animal kingdom, it is natural that when a new male comes into the family and becomes sexually mature, he will fight for the role of head of the family with the previous authority figure. Males competitive spirits, it is always necessary to determine who is in the lead. Many male friendships are formed when the weaker one gets the upper hand and beats the stronger one. But in this situation, there is an eternal contest for the role of head of the family - with a dead man. This compliance pressure because not everyone is competitive and not everyone wants to be an alpha male. In such cases the successor simply doesn't want to be left behind behind the Great Ancient One.
Transgenerational pattern or respect for the spirit world and ancestors
It may be, of course, that the extreme sportsman or woman is not aware of such an (ancestor) in the family. He doesn't need to know. It is enough to have the story of the Hero Ancestor as a fact, because if it is true and happened, it will appear in the family history as a pattern. And the descendant subconsciously wants to conform to this transgenerational pattern. Transgenerational psychology is a new discipline, but I have not just started working in it, nor did I call it that. It's the spirit world. Ancestor worship. Simply put. That's what I called this field, which I've been immersed in for about 30 years now. It was then that I discovered that our earthly life is just a short phase and that our spiritual self lives forever. Every ancestor leaves a legacy that lasts for seventy years within a generation. Seventeen. So it is not enough to look back to the parents, but to go back earlier if we are looking for an answer to something. I wrote about the legacy of ancestors in my book "Case studies in the mirror of success" chapter.
I'm sure it's no coincidence that the question and the path to the answer came in the same day. I feel I have found the cause of adrenaline addiction. I have work to do. If you respond, I will be further inspired and come up with possible solutions. Where I would go in this situation if I had an adrenaline dependent client.
Martina Somorjai - Sexologist
