Adrenaline, overall, is a wonderful physiological event. It kicks in when we need it the most and helps us make split-second decisions in highly stressful scenarios.
Adrenaline can also ramp up our emotions and, for someone who has diseases that can be negatively affected by a surge in adrenaline after it is over, cause flare-ups.
My Hereditary Angioedema is clearly and significantly affected by surges in adrenaline. It makes it complicated to do anything active or thrilling - like rollercoaster rides or skydiving. After the event is over and done with, here comes a throat swell! My Crohn's likes to kick in extra inflammation, my muscles seize, my Ankylosing Spondylitis screams at me - all because of the crash after a burst of adrenaline.
The Lighter Side of adrenaline, though, is that it can get you through just about anything.
When you see people - chronically ill people - out and having fun, looking as though they do not have a care in the world, as though they are in no pain.... that is adrenaline. That wonderful built-in opiate that allows us to escape our daily torture for a few moments, maybe even a few hours, once in a blue moon.
Unfortunately for us, no one can be that pumped on adrenaline 100% of the time, and once we crash - we crash hard. Often, after having a day of escape, using all of the adrenaline we can muster for an everyday activity like having a shower or making a meal, we can crash so hard as to be immobile for several days. Actually going out for some enjoyment *could even* land us in the hospital because of the brutal fall.
Adrenaline allows us to feel normal every now and then. It gives us an escape.
Too bad it isn't something we can maintain long-term.
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