"But I'm in such good Shape!"

You've heard them, at the gym, at the start of the road race, on television interviews. They practically boast about being addicted to exercise. They're not embarrassed to admit it, in fact they wear it like a badge of honor. At least they are not like the slugs and couch potatoes that they work with. They are the elite addicts! The good addicts! The healthy addicts! Who could possibly find fault with what they do to get high?

Maybe you're one of them. You are obsessed with your routine. You go crazy if you can't get your exercise done. You have become a "health nut", spending hundreds of extra dollars on special foods and vitamin supplements. You get irritated if anyone mentions it or criticizes what you are doing. You go to the gym and spend progressively more time there. You read everything you can about how to attain your goal. The perfect body. The winning edge. The best time. You hire a personal trainer, work out at lunch time, before work, after work, weekends. You don't have time for anything else and you insist that this is your form of relaxation.

Looking for the high?

You know that you look for that "runner's high". But so what, there's nothing wrong with getting high on your own brain chemicals, is there? Nothing, unless it has taken over your life! Have you ever run when you had a stress fracture? Insisted on lifting weights even when you have suffered a muscle tear? Found a way to ride your bike after a bad fall, even though you've injured your rotator cuff? Climbed the mountain when terrible weather was predicted, because you had to get to the top? Played soccer with the flu? Played football or basketball with a knee injury? And justified all of these behaviors to yourself and anyone who might have questioned your sanity?

The Anatomy of the High.

That runner's high is produced when your brain dumps the chemical you need to moderate your pain. If you have stressed your body and you need your own internally produced morphine. It's meant to be a signal for you to stop. The problem is that it feels sooooooooo good! And BANG, before you know it, you are looking for another hit. You are hooked on the feeling. If it means abusing your own body to get it, so what? After all, you are the only one getting hurt, right? "I'll do whatever it takes to get the high, the feeling, the fix".

Feeling self-righteous.

But you know that everyone admires athletes, even the weekend warriors. They are self-starters. They are ambitious. They are taking care of themselves, they're not slug-a-beds. There they are, out running before day break, in all kinds of weather. Playing sports with their teams, no matter what may be going on in their own lives. Never mind the cost in their personal relationships. They've gotta get out there and do their thing! They no longer feel like ordinary people. They are a breed apart.

Intoxication will do that to you!

This addiction to your own endorphins and enkephalins (the opiate like substance produced in your brain), is a progressive disorder. The more you have the more you need. This feeling is better than sex! You can't stop without having the feeling of withdrawal. You get irritable, anxious, nervous. You lose your appetite and even your interest in life's regular activities. You NEED a fix. You need to soothe your jittery emotions. And you need to do it NOW. So you take risks, ignore medical advice, refuse to listen to your own inner voice that says, "Hey Buddy, this is stupid", and you do it again.

It's probably not a surprise to you that lots of athletes get hooked on pain killers when they are forced to stop their physical activity. But you have convinced yourself that such a thing can't happen to you. Or if it already has, that you can handle it. You're drunk, and your thinking is impaired because of that intoxication. Maybe you are ready to ask for help. Getting off the merry-go-round is not as difficult as you think.

Why don't you make the call?

In the Spirit of Recovery, we are here to help. You can call us at 1-800-754-1452 or send us an email at RecoveryCentral@aol.com. The initial consultation is free and absolutely confidential. You'll be speaking with the best therapists available. Folks who understand just what it feels like. Call us today.