A study of skydivers compared to a control group (rowers) found that repeat skydivers were more likely to experience anhedonia, a lack of joy, in the rest of their lives. The authors wrote that “skydiving has similarities with addictive behaviors and that frequent exposure to ‘natural high’ experiences is related to anhedonia.” I would hardly call jumping out of an airplane at 13,000 feet a “natural high,” but I do agree with the author’s overall conclusion: Skydiving can be addictive and can lead to persistent dysphoria if engaged in repeatedly.
