Can adrenaline needs change?

Question

Wasn't quite sure to ask this. Is it possible for your body to become immune to adrenaline and need to do bigger and more crazy things to get a bigger rush?

Answer 1

Yes, it is certainly possible. Not sure how much you know about neurons and the nervous system, but with constant activation (with essentially any neurotransmitter) the receiving neuron will habituate. This involves 1) fewer receptors to receive the adrenaline signal, and 2) DNA transcription changes in the long run.

However, this type of habituation really only occurs with constant activation, ie. with drugs. This is why people who take drugs need to keep on increasing their dose.

But I'm guessing from your question that you're talking about needing to do more things like bunjy jumping and skydiving? Those are a little different from drugs in that they aren't constant stimuli. So although it's possible to physiologically have a smaller reaction to these things the more you do them, I wouldn't think the habituation would be too extreme. Having said that, there is probably more of a psychological habituation when you do these things over and over again, because your mind knows what's coming up, and thus you "prepare" for it in advance. This is very different from a physiological habituation via the neurons and receptors I mentioned above, however.