Page 25 - Panama City Living Magazine

“Adrenaline” is a hormone which we all inherently possess. me, and my heart began to beat faster. The wind blew my long hair
Secreted by our adrenal glands, it is an integral part of our “fight or flight” instinct. In moments of great change or sudden events causing fear or excitement, adrenaline
floods the bloodstream, forcing the reins of our minds to quickly chose a new course, or to stand frozen, seemingly deadlocked in a vise-grip of fear, the kind that strips your mind of all reasonable thought or planned decision making. It is also known as epinephrine, a synthetic version of adrenaline used in emergency medicine to save lives, because delivered in any form, it will usually cause the breath and the heart rate to quicken and the body to gain alertness and dexterity. In its medicinal form, adrenaline has the ability to assist in the revival of someone suffering from anaphylaxis or cardiac arrest.
As a paramedic, I administered epinephrine (or “epi,” as it’s referred to by the medically licensed) on countless occasions as a part of the procedural algorithm to perform resuscitative efforts on patients whose hearts had stopped. The successful revival of many of these patients is a testament to the power of adrenaline. In layman’s terms, it has the power to “kickstart” the heart, and when naturally secreted in the body, some believe it is unmatched in the physiological effects it delivers.
Adrenaline also has the power to deliver a feeling of unparalleled exuberance, a natural high. This is the effect of adrenaline that we refer to as the “rush.” Most likely, you have experienced it at one point in your life. When I think back, I can pinpoint my very first adrenaline rush as a kid. Back then, I rode my bike in my Atlanta neighborhood of Buckhead all the time. It was a great place to ride with its long stretches of road and great hills.
The sun was out; it was an extraordinarily beautiful afternoon. As I stopped at the top of our street, which began at busy West Paces Ferry Road, I put my feet down, taking a moment to watch the cars go by, along with the occasional motorcycle. I always took a longer look at those, and I would smile—a foreshadowing of things to come. I turned my fine Schwinn to face down the great hill that led to my house, fifth on the left. I boarded and I rolled. I gave a few strong pedals, then the gravity of the steep slope took over. I could feel the speed picking up, the pavement blurred beneath
out behind me and I turned my head to the sky, my eyes closed. My bike seemed to be hurling in a streamlined path as I held tight to the handle. And then, in a moment I cannot recall as anything other than exuberant joy, I made a conscious decision to just let go. Without hesitation, and with sheer excitement, I loosened my grip and freed my hands. I opened my eyes and slowly spread my arms as if to fly. There I was, no hands, heart beating fast, a rushing in my ears, and an exhilaration flowing through my body. I did not know at the time that this was an adrenaline rush. And what a rush it was... the first of so many. I believe this moment changed me forever, its effect manifesting itself throughout my entire life. This moment in time was inevitable, part of my DNA waiting to reveal itself.
As an adult, the desire to chase that adrenaline rush took on a higher form, and the amplitude of my actions for the rush increased. I adore the feeling of driving fast motorcycles, the excitement that open-water scuba diving as well as freediving brings—all of it has brought great joy. I will never forget my first scuba diving adventure. I had to command my mind to overcome the natural mammalian reflex to hold my breath as soon as the water covered my head and I began to descend. During scuba one must continue to breathe calmly and steadily while the mind is attempting to command the opposite. Initially, keeping control can be a challenging thing. The certainty that your wellbeing depends on your full control of the situation can cause a rush. Pushing the envelope, learning to trust your training, building your confidence ... these are all rewarded when you find yourself 140 feet below the surface exploring a shipwreck resting on the sand, experiencing an astonishingly beautiful world where you are physically not meant to be.
Diving is only one of many ways to get that unparalleled feeling of exhilaration. What makes some people so driven to chase that adrenaline rush? We are dedicating a series of articles to this topic on the following pages, sharing how people challenge themselves, and how they enjoy their adrenaline rush. Society has given a name to those that will push themselves in pursuit of amplified, extraordinary excitement. Here is what we learned when we met, observed, and shared experiences with and interviewed some of our local Florida adrenaline junkies.
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