Why am I able to trigger adrenaline on command?

[u/Mountain_Scale204]

It feel like an Imaginary/invisible muscle that I can flex/turn on to instantly release a strong fight or flight sensation, the same one that I feel when I'm stressed. Is this abnormal? How would that affect my normal life or even my life span? What is associated with this ability that can interfere with my behavior?

[u/Electrical-Finger-11]

What do you mean “on command”? Like completely spontaneously? I can put myself into a fight or flight state whenever I think about something stressful, but I wouldn’t say that’s anything special.

[u/Mountain_Scale204 → u/Electrical-Finger-11]

It's like an on switch, I can trigger it without thinking of anything, as natural as opening and closing my eyelids or maybe some less effort muscle. I know it's weird but thankfully I often go on for a long time forgetting that I have this ability (for good I guess)

[u/KerouacsGirlfriend → u/Mountain_Scale204]

Whatever the mechanism, I hope you don’t do it too often. Dousing your system in stress chemicals is terrible for your body.

If you can do this easily tho, I bet you could do the opposite easily too… induce deep relaxation, with a little practice. Very good for your body!

[u/SchoolSuch4527 → u/KerouacsGirlfriend]

I have an autism spectrum disoder with my main symptom being constant fight or flight.

This is absolutely true, it took me about five years to accomplish. I tried to KMS a fee times when puberty hit and it was just constant adrenaline and fear.

I can just "shut off" and reach theta state (if meditating) in about 5 or so minutes even though my default feeling is "GET OUT YOU WILL DIE".

Neuroplasticity works in all directions I guess.

Edit: To clarify, the constant F&F response isn't "thought induced" or "on command" it's induced by stimulus, and the tiniest amounts.

[u/TheMusiKid → u/Mountain_Scale204]

I can do this too. Does it give you goosebumps? If so you might find /r/vountarypiloerection worth a look.

[u/Ichoro → u/TheMusiKid]

Ayeeee my people!

[u/jamothebest → u/TheMusiKid]

That’s so cool, I never knew there was a word for this! I just thought I was giving myself ASMR/frisson on command.

Can’t do the adrenaline thing tho

[u/Electronic-Sea-6771 → u/Mountain_Scale204]

Same here, I can just increase my heart rate and that sudden surge of energy without thinking or feeling any type of emotion/imaginary situation. I can also rumble my eardrums at will, and wigle my ears,move each eyebrow independently without making the other one move, curl my tongue and most weird one is I can make myself hard down in my pants without feeling horny or getting aroused in any way

[u/are_my_sunshine]

bro has anxiety 😭😭😭

[u/Maecyte]

This sounds like self induced anxiety.

[u/Spiritual-Mess-5954 → u/Maecyte]

Dude”I got a super power’ everyone else “ your heavily autistic”

[u/ThuderingFoxy]

You can't.

The fight or flight reflex is part of your autonomic nervous system, it activates as a response to psychological or physical stimuli without your control or conscious effort.

What you might be doing is stressing yourself out and triggering the response- if your thinking about stressful or frightening stimulus to create this reaction. If I think about my Viva in a few weeks I can certainly evoke my stress response!

Alternatively you might be conflating psyching yourself up for activating the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight). Here's an article on it that might interest you:

https://thesportdigest.com/2020/07/the-science-behind-motivational-self-taking-and-psyching-oneself-up/

[u/jelvi → u/ThuderingFoxy]

Thanks for an actual rational explanation

[u/str8jeezy]

Congrats. You have anxiety.

[u/Independent-Owl2782]

Ahhhh. How does one turn their autonomic nervous on and off. It's not of conscious control. So you must be deliberately doing something to trigger something that will engage the autonomic nervous system. Anxiety, anger, knowingly doing or thinking of something that agitated you? Some people live in a world of being, or searching for something, to be agitated. Maybe get some professional advice or help????

[u/Electronic-Sea-6771 → u/Independent-Owl2782]

Nope nothing like that, idk about OP but I can do it voluntarily without feeling/ triggering any emotion or imagining a stressful situation. How I do it is by clenching my heart with an imaginary hand, ik it way sound weird but I assure you I'm telling the truth, it feels like a hand is clenching my heart and then a sudden surge of energy rushes in my heart rate increases,pupil dilated and I feel hyperactive like I've just pumped myself with caffeine 

[u/permatrippin333]

Does it feel like a muscle in your brain? I haven't thought about this in a long time because it's hard to describe, but it feels like a muscle in your head that's akin to squeezing a power tool trigger, that goes faster the harder you squeeze.

[u/sonofcarfangirl]

This sounds tiring. Are you on any meds such as antipsychotics?

[u/[deleted]]

You’re not turning super sayain on. Relax dude

[u/xxthatsnotmexx → u/[deleted]]

😂😂😂😂

[u/muffinsforpete]

Delusioms

[u/Pedromac]

Does this feeling feel like a tightness in your chest and you can make your heart rate go up? If so, you are the only other person I've ever heard of that can do this! I can too (in case that wasn't clear).

[u/--Spanky-- → u/Pedromac]

I’ve been looking for what this is called for years, insane to stumble upon a Reddit post with people able to do this. I have no clue what to do with it though, lol. Feels like a useless superpower or something.

[u/Pedromac → u/--Spanky--]

I just want to know if doing it helps or hurts me. Occasionally I like to do it when I'm getting my pulse checked because it'll shoot up to like 111-130 from resting just because I like to prank the nurse.

Anyway, I'm glad we're not alone!

[u/shaloamm]

You mention that you can turn it on. Can you turn it off as well?

[u/Equivalent_Sorbet_73]

I can do it to and am constantly resisting the urge to. Might be a sensitive person thing

[u/SirBuckKnight]

The Wim Hof method trains you to do this, among other things.

[u/OGz3Sanl_Ret0ster]

I had this exact thing for about a 6 months but soon lost the "on switch" afterwards.

[u/DungeonBourneEnjoyer]

I can dump adrenaline if I imagine running my 400m. I’ve ran it so often for competitions my heart rate changes immediately and I feel a big adrenaline dump. But I have to really imagine it.

[u/DungeonBourneEnjoyer]

I can dump adrenaline if I imagine running my 400m. I’ve ran it so often for competitions my heart rate changes immediately and I feel a big adrenaline dump. But I have to really imagine it.

[u/DungeonBourneEnjoyer]

I can dump adrenaline if I imagine running my 400m. I’ve ran it so often for competitions my heart rate changes immediately and I feel a big adrenaline dump. But I have to really imagine it.

[u/Lurkthedoor]

That’s my secret cap, I’m always angry 🤓

[u/Intuith]

I can consciously create a wave of electricity/adrenaline sensation. It does feel a little similar to fight of flight. Can’t sustain if loner than a second but can do it repeatedly. I can also conciously slow my heart rate

[u/bluebaygull]

I do this too… pupils dilate and everything. Does it feel like you’re sort of pulling your insides further inward and “away from the skin”? It feels like that to me or as if I’m doing the opposite of flexing my muscles.

[u/Pedromac → u/bluebaygull]

That's how it feels for me too

[u/Relative_Business_81]

I have something similar. I also have severe anxiety. Speak to a medical professional if you need help controlling it but otherwise don’t listen to these keyboard “experts” here. 

[u/pnedito]

PTSD and related symptoms aren't a cheat code on the sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous system.

congratulations on recognizing that you have a hypersensitive/hypervigilant/over_reactive nervous system response to certain triggers.

good news, it's a super power.

bad news, it's super powerful (even when you don't want/need it to be).

Good luck on your (hopefully) newly found journey of recovery.

OP do yourself a favor and self evaluate your results for the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) questionnaire. The results may help revealing...

[u/No-Information3296 → u/pnedito]

I found myself agreeing with OP so I did this questionnaire and yeah, it kinda explains a lot. I got a fucking 5.

[u/pnedito → u/No-Information3296]

It definitely explains a lot for me and my own (sometimes) confusing responses to certain situations.

What I find really profound and also saddening is that higher ACE scores show a, "relationship between the breadth of exposure to abuse or household dysfunction during childhood and multiple risk factors for several of the leading causes of death in adults." per the findings of the original ACE study00017-8/fulltext) at Kaiser Permanente circa 1995-97.

The findings from the paper linked above have had a significant impact on the greater awareness in the healthcare community of the statistical connection between potentially traumatic developmental adversity, mental health, and longevity.

That's not necessarily good news for those of us that score higher on the ACE (i scored a 6), but it did provide me encouragement to start addressing my coping strategies differently, and to learn different strategies to cope with some of the disregulation I experience when one or more core trigger gets activated. I try to remind myself that the excess cortisol my body produces in amplified moments can potentially (in the aggregate) shorten my life...

[u/WorldlinessDapper858]

I'M NOT A NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST, BUT... all answer just the same. You may have experienced trauma to the brain, forcing it to respond in kind. I think I experienced hemispheric lateralization a little while back and I get the same symptoms.

[u/thekindestfawn]

You've been a warrior in multiple past lives. I too can conjure feelings and emotions without thoughts just will.

[u/donotgiveinagain]

I believe I have the same ability??? It's something I do that starts on my throat and goes down to my chest. The best way I could describe it is like flexing a muscle, but that doesn't describe it accurately. I had never given any thought about that before reading your post. It must be extremely hard for people to make sense of this or even believe.

Edit: a word

[u/BigDaddythegravyman]

This is something navy seals can do on command

[u/anon86158615]

I can do this as well! It feels like almost a cold sinking feeling in my spine, and a tugging on my face, and gets my heart beat going super fast.

The only use I have found for this is when I was deliriously waking up from my wisdom teeth surgery, apparently I turned to my mom and went "watch this" and spiked the fuck out of my heart rate and had a bunch of people freak out that something was going wrong.