Addicted to Thrills

During the 1950’s, juvenile delinquency was considered a major social problem. In a hit movie called “The Wild One”, starring Marlon Brando as a motorcycle gang leader, one older character called him and his pals, “thrill-seekers.” These days, those people are known as adrenaline junkies.

The purpose of this article is to take a quick snapshot of the high-stimulus personality, and to understand how the actions of that personality might create problems in a relationship.

Imagine a fictional couple, Jack and Jill. Jack is easy-going, laid back and enjoys a peaceful kind of life. Jill loves excitement: riding snowmobiles, intense exercise and long-distance bicycling. He is not comfortable with change; she is always on the look-out for a new challenge.

Working for fourteen years with troubled teens at a residential treatment center, I came to know lots of youngsters like Jill. While they were all distinct personalities, they shared some qualities in common. 

One of those qualities is the inability to tolerate silence and stillness. In the case of those kids, when things were quiet, their minds would tend to recall painful memories. The discomfort made them tense and anxious. So, they did whatever it took to generate noise and disorder for the sole purpose of avoiding those memories. 

Adults who habitually show avoidant behaviors will inevitably carry their unresolved issues into their personal relationships. That always leads to relationship conflict, and that is why it’s important to understand what’s driving the restlessness and intensity of that personality.

To be fair, not all people who thrive on excitement do so in order to avoid dealing with a painful past. The highly active individual may have a problem, or he may not. He may simply be unusually ambitious, energetic and curious; that is not necessarily problematic. However, if you can relate to this, and if you are curious whether it might be a problem for you, please don’t hesitate to call. The number is 219-309-3928. Either way, finding out what’s behind the high-stimulus personality could save you a lot of heartache in the long run.

Thanks for reading!