| Adrenaline junkies, or as I like to call them-chaos | | | | p.m., it never occurred to me to leave before 7 p.m... |
| addicts-can be found in every walk of life. Similar to | | | | Somehow being there at 7 p.m. and leaving at 7 p.m. |
| long distance runners who are often addicted to the | | | | were the same thing," she said. Having been through |
| adrenaline rush they receive when running, chaos | | | | counseling to work on this stress producing behavior, |
| addicts are addicted to the rush they feel when chaos | | | | Ashley learned that this behavior was self-sabotaging, |
| is happening around them. As sad as it seems, there | | | | and as a result now leaves 30 minutes before any |
| are people who will intentionally do things to create | | | | scheduled appointment. "Somehow even if the |
| chaos during times of relative calm. | | | | appointment is just 5 minutes away, and I leave with |
| My personal theory on this condition is that each and | | | | 30 minutes to spare, I still arrive there just on time." |
| every one of us has an internal barometer, an internal | | | | Another favorite stress-inducing habit of high-stressors |
| gauge that is set at the amount of stress that feels | | | | is to use the last of something and not replace it: |
| comfortable to us. Some people are naturally low | | | | Paper towels, toilet paper, copy machine paper, order |
| stressors and some are high. During times of low | | | | forms, water cooler jugs - you name it. High-stressors |
| stress, those naturally predisposed to high stress will | | | | rarely refill or restock items - it just seems like too |
| feel an unconscious need to act in ways that create | | | | much trouble; after all when they return and the item |
| stress. | | | | isn't there, they get the much needed adrenaline jolt |
| A good example of one of the many symptoms of | | | | they so desperately seek. |
| chaos addiction occurs in high-stress individuals that | | | | So how does one effectively deal with a high |
| continually lose things. Keys, charts, pens, items of | | | | stressor? Good luck. Offering advice or suggestions to |
| clothing- no matter how hard high-stressors try to get | | | | a high-stressor on how he or she might be better |
| organized, they just can't seem to get it together. This | | | | organized is often ignored or taken as criticism. Unable |
| is because losing things somehow secretly serves | | | | or unwilling to recognize the negative effect this |
| them. Why? Not only can the act of losing something | | | | behavior has on themselves and others, chaos-addicts |
| increase the amount of tension and stress one feels, it | | | | employ a steady stream of defense mechanisms |
| also tests the ability of others to come to the rescue | | | | such as blame and rationalization to justify their actions. |
| since a person who has lost an item will enlist the help | | | | Perhaps the best way that I have found to deal with |
| of others nearby to find it. "Have you seen my keys? I | | | | individuals addicted to turmoil and tension, is to simply |
| know they were around here somewhere?" Sound | | | | recognize their behavior for what it is - a quality of life |
| familiar? | | | | that gives them that indefinable something that they so |
| Another tell-tale sign of a high-stressor is that they are | | | | desperately need. By realizing too, that the only person |
| frequently late. Much of the time their tardiness is | | | | whose thoughts and behaviors you can control are |
| caused by the fact that they always feel compelled to | | | | your own, you can then make a conscious decision to |
| do one more thing before they leave for their intended | | | | prevent a chaos addict's behavior from influencing or |
| destination. A high-stressor, for instance, will frequently | | | | infecting your life. Perhaps one of the best lessons we |
| start another load of laundry just before leaving the | | | | can learn from watching others do things that we don't |
| house. My friend Ashley, an admitted high-stressor, | | | | like, is that we can choose for ourselves different |
| claims that one of her favorite ways to create stress | | | | behaviors that will produce different results. |
| was to overbook herself. "If I had an appointment at 7 | | | | |