Similarly, when I am able to follow the thread from a counterproductive behavior to it's end - I nearly always find feelings of helplessness there.

The article examines the motivation of wingsuit base jumpers and suggests they are driven by the reward they get thru control that is gained from minimizing outsized risk.

While I can readily accept this, I would not readily dismiss the effects of stimulation and how it used to bridge mental gaps between decreased cognition and the level that one ought to be operating at.