The rush, hit, high, the feeling that keeps you going back for more, over and over again. You’re addicted; even though you know you are risking it all, you can’t control your incessant need for a snapshot of ecstasy. Losing all rational thought, dopamine becomes your common sense enslaving you to focus only on feeding its need for risky reward. As you come back down to earth, you feel still, empty, and the mind is already willing to chance losing everything you have just to satisfy an unforgiving desire to live on a knife-edge, in a heartbeat.

For some the reality of needing this kind of rush is uncontrollable, almost as if the body is powerless to the mind’s desire, regardless of the consequences. Naturally eager and spontaneous, it has been scientifically proven via a study at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, that this set of people have fewer dopamine-regulating receptors in their brain, making the chemical hit each time they take a risk, unusually big. There are many ways to fulfill this addiction-type need, with extreme sports at the top of the list. Heli skiing, base-jumping, and skydiving along with big wave surfing and bull running, all hit the spot and achieve the aim of losing yourself to the moment without a second thought to the fact you could seriously injure yourself, or worse. And you needn’t think it’s just adrenaline fueled muscle-head guys that are seeking the ultimate high either, growing numbers of women are more than happy to give the boys a run for their money. This area of the sporting world may have long been dominated by men, but that’s changing fast as women are gaining ground and showing men how it’s done, not only with a high physical ability, but also a complete mental understanding.

Then there is another type of risk taking where the stakes are just as high: having an affair. The need to embrace risk is strikingly similar, all in a haze of adrenalin; you are willing to risk losing the one you love just for the thrill of tasting forbidden fruit. Reputations hang in the balance, the stigma attached to being a cheat, and even breaking up a family are all forgotten in the blink of a lustful eye, pretty selfish all round. But is jumping out of plane or off a building any less selfish? No stigmas for sure, it’s brave, heroic, taking a chance, and ultimately many would comment, “I wouldn’t do it! But as you take the chance and dance with death each time, is that not just as selfish as having an affair? Is it fair on your partner to risk your life each time you hunt down the next big wave? Or is it simply that it is more socially acceptable to risk your life, than have an affair?

We asked our male and female members at Illicitencounters.com if they regularly took part in any extreme sports, and the numbers were surprising high. The top extreme sporting choice for both sexes was Rock Climbing, followed by Heli Skiing and Skydiving for the ladies, while Skydiving took second place for the men and Bull Running came in third. Clearly a multitude of high-risk activities is essential to the equilibrium of the buzz hungry individual.

If something were to happen while engaged in a sport, that would of course be terribly tragic, but more acceptable to the partner of a cheat. “Go out and risk your life darling by all means, just don’t cheat on me, okay?” A little tongue and cheek of course, but reading between the lines, it strikes me that because the act of infidelity reflects badly on all involved, telling your partner to “Go jump off a building!” in a rage, maybe be closer to the truth than we wish to admit.

Top 3 extreme sports for IllicitEncounters.com members.