Are You Addicted To Stress?

I once had a friend who was constantly moving from one crisis to another. If she wasn't being betrayed by a dear friend, she was about to lose her job, or perhaps she was so busy with her exciting life that she was about to get sick. At first, I felt bad for her. But after a while, I came to expect to see drama in her life, and that remained a constant. I started to realize that, whether or not she realized it or did it consciously, she was the orchestrator of her own drama. She would sabotage relationships, slack off at work (or overwork herself, depending on factors understood only by her), and constantly have some sort of stress in her life that overrode everyone else's (or so she believed).

Not everyone has a Drama Queen like this in their life (and, thankfully, I no longer do, either!), but many of us know people who play a role in their own stress. In fact, I would estimate that most of us play a part in our own stress in one way or another. Either by using unhealthy coping strategies or cognitive distortions, or by being an adrenaline addict, we can exacerbate our own stress levels without even realizing it.

If you suspect that this may be the case with you, fear not! I have resources for you below. I encourage you to read up and then pay close attention to your own thoughts and actions afterward, and see if you notice yourself inadvertently adding to your own stress levels.

Self-Sabotage Info and Resources from Elizabeth Scott:

• Distorted Thinking and Stress

• Quiz: Are You Addicted To Adrenaline?

• How To Tell If You're An Adrenaline Junkie

Are you an adrenaline addict? Do you somehow contribute to your own stress? Or do you know someone who obliviously does this? Share your experiences in the comments section.

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