There is no doubt that life can be stressful with work, school, caring for others and ourselves, and responsibilities that pile up. Stress could even become a natural state of being for many of us.

Is it possible to get addicted to stress?

The answer is yes.

Stress addiction – what is it? A recurring pattern of seeking out stressful situations or behaving in ways that increase stress, even when you are distressed, aware of the potential consequences, and want to stop.

Stress addiction is not a clinical diagnosis, says Michael J. McGrath, MD, a psychiatrist who’s board certified in addiction and the medical director of The Ohana Addiction Treatment Center on the Big Island of Hawaii. However, it’s still possible to become addicted to stress or stressful situations.

Why does stress become addictive?

McGrath points out that anxiety affects several chemicals in the brain, including cortisol, the stress hormone, and dopamine, the happy hormone.

“These chemicals are related to mood and can make a person feel happy, so that’s why they may seek out stressful situations,” he explains. “They may enjoy the feelings brought about by surges of dopamine and cortisol in the brain. This leads them to repeat the behavior over and over again.”

The development of stress addiction may also result from growing up in a household where stress levels were always high. When you’re an adult, stress could be a “comfortable” natural state for you – even if it’s uncomfortable.

Jessica Wright, LCSW, who practices in Illinois, says stress produces cortisol, telling the body we’re in a fight, flight, or freeze mode. “The more stress we’re used to as kids, the harder it is to have less stress as adults.”. Stress becomes a high that we crave. When we’re not stressed, we might even get stressed over that! “

There are several ways to manage your addictive tendencies regardless of where they come from.