Is Drama Addictive?

Does it feel like you are always attracting dramatic situations to your life or engaging in activities that are risky, painful, emotional, exciting or create anger? If so…  you may be addicted to DRAMA. The no drama zone has become a mantra for many folks as they experience the ups and downs of life. For others, the rush of the situations becomes a way of life. Drama addiction or more specifically, adrenaline addiction is a real thing. Much like an addiction to drugs or alcohol, the body creates a rush from the natural hormone, adrenaline. Usually, this release is used as a fight or flight parasympathetic nervous system response to danger. For others, who have engaged in thrill seeking, risky and ultra-challenging professions, extreme sports or abusive relationships, the adrenaline kicks in with the stimulus being the action, behavior or drama. Like any other addiction, over time, the adrenaline becomes a way of life, and the withdrawal from it results in a depression. The constant high replaces normal situations, and everyday living becomes mundane, causing the addicted person to seek, and even create situations that will feed the growing problem. And so the cycle begins. This need is a difficult one to treat. First, because it is an organic substance in the body and the nervous system has been charged to need it to function normally. Secondly, because the behaviors of drama create interpersonal and life scenarios that can cause the breakdown of self-esteem, financial problems, inter-relational issues, and an ongoing feeling of depression, anxiety and emptiness. Some extreme adrenaline junkies resort to self-injury to achieve the high, starting an entirely new problem. Bottom line is that adrenaline addiction is self-destructive in nature and can be life threatening for the thrill of the high, in spite of the known negative consequences.  Here four things you can ask yourself to test for “drama addiction”.

1. PURPOSEFULLY, restrain yourself from your activity or person of obsession for one month. No reading about it, researching your next adventure, texts, calls or contact. If you find you are depressed, anxious or “feigning” for your stimulus, you may be addicted.
2. If you find that the dramatic situations, fighting, or the quest to encounter your next adventure is every day, you may be addicted.
3. If you have family, friends or others commenting on the destructiveness of your life, you may be addicted
4. If all of your career choices, social activities or relationships have fast paced, extreme situations, heartbreak, high stakes, or high reward/losses associated, you may be addicted.

If two or more of the above seem familiar, seek the help of a mental health professional.

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