I
have my own theory about why some people retire happily and others get
depressed or ill upon retirement, about why some people drive fast and like
rollercoaster rides and horror movies, and others—like me—absolutely refuse to
see anything violent and frightening and have always avoided scary rides in
amusement parks.
It
has to do with an addiction to “highs.” People with generally low levels of
adrenaline need a boost to “feel alive." While people whose levels are
usually high, quickly become anxious when over-stimulated.
I’m
of the latter category. Even a scary book makes my heart beat faster, and I get
so uncomfortable in suspenseful movies that I want to leave. The feeling of
being frightened is deeply unpleasant—I do all I can to avoid being in such
situations.
My
granddaughter, on the other hand, loves to be scared. She thinks it’s fun. A
large number of people must agree, considering how many movies are made just to
raise adrenaline levels. Steven Spielberg said in an interview that during a
preview of Jaws, he saw someone leave
as the shark was swallowing a man and thought: “It’s a flop.” Then he saw the
person throw up and return, and he thought: “It’s a block-buster.”
Addictions
to emotional highs are not very different from addictions to alcohol or drugs.
Without the stimulation, one feels low key, empty, or depressed.
Some
people can only work under pressure¾deadlines are
motivators. I’m always several columns ahead, and I handed in reports early in
college. Deadlines make me anxious. I can work under pressure if I have to, but
I hate the feeling it generates.
Why
do people continue working at a hard and fast pace when they could retire and
don’t need the money? A newly retired friend of mine recently said to me, “I
miss the challenge, I miss risk taking, I miss having the control.”
Another
friend, a recently-retired CEO, said, “Who am I if I’m not a manager, if I’m
not in charge¾if I don’t have the opportunity to make important
decisions?
What
these persons miss, besides their job identities and the daily adventure that
work provides, is being looked up to by colleagues and staff, being someone who
matters, feeling responsible, and being challenged.
The
people who retire most happily are college professors who have had experience
filling up their time in productive ways during the long summer vacations.
Interestingly
enough, stress addiction can be harmful to some, leading to heart attacks—but
not to all. For some, the release of adrenaline in the blood stream might
increase resistance to disease through the production of lymphocytes.
In
other words, stress may be bad for some individuals but good for others. They
thrive living in the fast lane, getting high on violent video games and extreme
sports. People addicted to adrenaline seek ways to get these surges and when
deprived of them become irritable or depressed.
I
get a “high” when I see a good performance in a theater or have a particularly
stimulating conversation, and that’s enough for me.
Seeing
a destructive storm on television, hearing someone else’s bad news or a
dramatic story also provide a small kick, which explain people’s preoccupation
with sensational trials and sex scandals.
After
all, what is “having a good time” but a “high”?
Stress
is negative when people have little control over their work. Low-level
employees with heavy job demands are at the highest risk of heart disease. The
workers with least control over their jobs were five times as likely to develop
coronary heart disease as were those with the most control.
“Job
control” involves two factors: the ability to make one’s own decisions and the
capacity to use a range of skills.
If
psychological strain cannot be translated into action, then the cardiovascular
system is adversely affected. Even talking to someone about one’s stress is an
action that can be helpful.
Being
in control and being needed are highs. So how to get that high in other ways is
what must be found.
What
gives you a high? How much of it do you need and with what intensity? Being
aware of one’s needs for adrenaline highs is already half the battle in seeking
what one must have to feel alive. This will give you control over your
behaviors and not let you fall prey to unconscious motivations and needs.
