WHAT WE TREAT
At Paracelsus Recovery, we take a supportive, harm-reduction approach to help you regain control over adrenaline addiction. Our personalised treatment programmes offer the guidance and tools you need to find balance, set healthy boundaries, and achieve a sense of peace: mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Adrenaline addiction, also referred to as adrenaline dependence or thrill-seeking behaviour, is a behavioural addiction. In this case, participating in high-intensity or risky activities in search of an adrenaline rush is the set of behaviours that a person becomes dependent on and craves. It is also known as a ‘process’ addiction because it is a set of actions or a process that people become addicted to, rather than a substance. Adrenaline addiction is characterised by participating in risk-taking behaviours despite any negative consequences of doing so. It’s often linked to extreme sports, gambling, fast driving, or dangerous behaviour.
The rush that risk-taking behaviour provides to the brain acts in much the same way as substance-related addiction. When we engage in an activity that keeps us alive or helps us pass on our genes, our reward system sends out a chemical messenger called dopamine which gives us a hit of satisfaction to encourage us to repeat that action. These dopamine hits can become addictive given the right environmental, psychological and biological factors. Therefore, any activity that releases a rush of dopamine, such as participating in risk-taking behaviours, can also become addictive.
While adrenaline rushes can feel exhilarating, over-reliance on them can lead to harmful outcomes. Adrenaline addiction can cause various issues that impact all areas of life, from finances and career to relationships and family. In all cases, adrenaline addiction will introduce a great deal of stress, fear and pain into the individual’s life, resulting in the worsening of their physical and psychological health. There are numerous risks to physical health that come from partaking in risky activities. Aside from the obvious risks of injury and death that come with extreme sports, reckless driving and dangerous stunts, constant adrenaline surges and being in a constant state of stress can have harmful physical consequences. These include exhaustion, sleep disturbances and difficulty managing emotions.
As adrenaline addiction wires individual’s brains for high stimulation, it can feel harder to feel calm or content in normal situations, priming them for anxiety. And after the “high” of adrenaline fades, it’s common to experience lows, depression, or emotional numbness, triggering a vicious cycle of needing ever more extreme thrills to feel alive followed by ever lower “comedowns”. Another common way to attempt to enhance the thrill or cope with the crash after the high fades is to turn to substances such as drugs or alcohol. Substance use disorder (SUD) is a common comorbidity of adrenaline addiction.
Through our combination of medical, psychological and personal care, we are proud to be the only clinic in the world that addresses co-occurring conditions and every possible root-cause of adrenaline addiction. In doing so, we can help you recover in a matter of weeks, rather than years or months.
Bespoke treatment
How we treat adrenaline addiction
We understand that living with an adrenaline addiction can feel being stuck in an intense and all-consuming cycle. While we can’t tell you exactly what your four-week stay will involve, we can ensure you that every step of your treatment journey is geared towards helping you break that cycle. At Paracelsus Recovery, no two patients follow the same treatment path; each client receives a bespoke treatment plan curated specifically for them. However, it is important to emphasise that we do not adopt a specific treatment model. Instead, we advocate for a completely pragmatic approach to addiction – whatever works best for you to achieve your goals.
Your time with us is carefully structured to incorporate a range of therapies, with each therapeutic element handpicked to support you in overcoming your overbearing need to take risks. The therapies included in your programme are designed to work in harmony to help you break free from the cycle of addiction and set healthier boundaries with risk-taking. See below for further details.
Our approach considers the whole person: mind, body and soul
We do not adopt a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Instead, we adapt each programme to each client’s unique set of needs. While our approach prioritises cutting-edge modalities and holistic care, it is ultimately those unique needs that guide our work together.
At Paracelsus Recovery, our 360-degree treatment approach is designed to help you address, process and overcome the root causes of your adrenaline dependency. By carrying out rigorous testing, we are able to identify all underlying issues and pave a path towards overcoming them. This informs your personalised treatment plan that combines cutting-edge therapies, each carefully tailored to address the root causes of your addiction and restore your psychological, cellular, and biological well-being. To treat adrenaline addiction, we incorporate therapies such as nutritional therapy, biofeedback, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), psycho-education, art therapy, and sleep therapies.
Aside from addressing the underlying causes of your adrenaline addiction, we also target the wider impact it may have had, including any neurological or physiological strain. Treatment typically involves a combination of intensive psychotherapy, biochemical restoration, and complementary therapies, all designed to support long-term recovery and foster a healthier, more balanced relationship with risk-taking.
15+ team members, all dedicated to your health and well-being
We are the only adrenaline addiction treatment centre in the world to provide a minimum of 15 dedicated professionals to each client.
Your treatment will be delivered by a team of experts. We offer an unparalleled staff to patient ratio of 15:1, enabling our team to provide around-the-clock treatment. This team is made up of world-renowned doctors, therapists, addiction specialists and a Nobel Prize-winning board member. At the heart of this team is a dedicated live-in therapist who will be available for 24/7 emotional support. No matter the unique blend of treatments you receive, they will be delivered with the Swiss medical excellence we are known for.
Comprehensive programmes as unique as you are
We tailor-make our comprehensive and intensive adrenaline addiction treatment programmes to meet your specific needs. What all of our programmes have in common is that they are steeped in our core values of pragmatism and empathy. This means adopting a harm-reduction approach that leaves the decision to completely remove your adrenaline addiction from your life entirely with you.
We can provide treatment for adrenaline addiction and any co-occurring dependencies and mental health conditions at our discrete adrenaline addiction treatment centre in Zurich.
FURTHER READING
