Stress and Your Child - The Adrenaline Connection (Part 1)
by Archibald D. Hart, Ph.D

Parents want the best for their children. Sometimes, however, they unwittingly do things that harm them. This is why every parent needs to understand the connection between stress and adrenaline.

What exactly is adrenaline? It’s a hormone produced by two small glands situated just above the kidneys. The release of adrenaline gives us a buzz whenever we become excited. It is quite common t hear someone talk about an “adrenaline rush” – a short burst of adrenaline that makes us feel on top of the world. It also becomes activated in an emergency.

Children Experience Adrenaline Rushes: Adrenaline excitement, however, is not confined to adults. Children experience it too. And if prolonged adrenaline arousal can harm adults (and it does), imagine what it can do to children. In fact there is a very real risk that many parents are turning their kids into “adrenaline junkies: by over stimulating them with video games or competitive behaviors that elicit high levels of circulating adrenaline. Adrenaline provides pleasure and energy, which makes us feel competent, energetic, and challenged. But when the excitement is over, a decrease in circulating adrenaline produces a “letdown” – a unique form of depression called “post adrenaline depression.” The letdown causes a fairly classic set of withdrawal symptoms:

• Depression, masked by irritability, including angry outbursts
• Restlessness and insomnia