How To Wean Yourself Off Coffee
Coffee is delicious, and research also shows that drinking coffee can both reduce depression and result in a feel-good dopamine response. But if it’s causing your anxiety symptoms to tick up, it might be worth cutting back. Prioritize other things that will help you to feel good and healthy, like sleep, diet and movement, then layer in supplements and take caffeine dosage down to a cup of tea in the morning only, Chantal Bacon suggests.
She recommends supplemental magnesium in the evening hours and switching to yerba mate as a coffee substitute in the morning, which has a similarly roasted flavor but less caffeine per cup. Start reducing your intake on weekends only, then drop down to a cup every other day, and so on.
Do I still drink coffee? Definitely, but I’m super mindful of how much I’m drinking and try to limit myself to a cup just a couple times per week. I’ll often opt for decaf if I’m really craving it. Otherwise, I’ve mostly turned to tea.
What Happens When Coffee And Anxiety Are Mixed
Drinking too much coffee or experiencing caffeine withdrawal can cause you to develop anxiety. This is why its important to monitor your caffeine intake and keep yourself from becoming dependent on coffee.
If you already have an anxiety disorder and choose to drink coffee, you may run into problems. Caffeine and anxiety both have effects on heart rate and blood pressure. When the two are combined, your heart rate can skyrocket, increasing your already heightened anxiety levels. This can create a negative feedback loop leading to severe mental illness.
Your heart may start to suffer as well. While it works faster to try to keep up with your caffeine intake and stress, it may start to wear itself out. Too much caffeine and anxiety can lead to heart-related illnesses, including strokes and heart attacks.
You may also find yourself having a harder time getting to sleep and staying asleep. Both caffeine and anxiety can cause insomnia and other sleep disorders, which may affect your overall quality of life.
Severe mood swings can occur as your body fights between anxiety and irritability. You may find yourself lashing out more and becoming angry with little reason.
If you notice yourself experiencing any of these symptoms, or you find that your anxiety is worsening, you should immediately try to cut back on coffee. For extreme symptoms, you may also want to consult your doctor for more advice.
Caffeine Robs You Of Essential Brain Nutrients
Caffeine causes nutrients to be excreted from your body, some of which are particularly important for your brain health and mood.
One of the nutrients that gets depleted is magnesium, a mineral that has profound effects on your mental wellness.
Magnesium plays a critical role in a number of brain-related disorders including:
- addictions
Anxiety is a common sign of B vitamin deficiency.
Taking extra B vitamins can address imbalances of the brain chemicals GABA, serotonin, dopamine, and epinephrine that contribute to anxiety.
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Caffeine Affects Neurotransmitter Balance
Caffeine achieves many of its effects by blocking the activity of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel sleepy and tired.
By increasing the brain chemicals dopamine and acetylcholine, caffeine imparts feelings and results that we desire, such as increased motivation, mental function, and productivity.
But for those with anxiety, there is a downside.
Dr. Pat | Be Brain Fit
GABA slows brain activity when needed and has been called natures Valium.
Its essential for feeling happy and relaxed, so its not surprising that a low GABA level is associated with anxiety and panic attacks.
Serotonin is the neurotransmitter most closely tied to happiness.
But theres evidence that caffeine, which can cross the blood-brain barrier, in the brain.
What About Sugar In Coffee
So you dont take your coffee black and need a little sweetness in your life? Sugar and other artificial sweeteners are similar to caffeine in that it cant cause anxiety, but can worsen anxiety symptoms. It is best to stay away since they can cause effects such as fatigue , blurry vision, and upset stomach. These side effects can lower your mood which just contributes to anxiety.
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Too Much Caffeine Is Linked To Psychiatric Disorders
Its been recognized for decades that the symptoms of too much caffeine are very similar to those of many psychiatric disorders.
Enough caffeine can even create symptoms of anxiety in a healthy person that are indistinguishable from those experienced by anxiety disorder sufferers.
Some psychiatrists recommend that routine psychiatric assessments should include examining caffeine consumption since removing caffeine can be more beneficial than prescribing anti-anxiety drugs.
For now, the preferred term is caffeine use disorder.
Its been included as a condition for further study in the DSM-5.
Ological Limitations And Directions For Future Research
Though the current study has addressed a gap in the literature, several methodological limitations should be considered when interpreting the findings. One such limitation is that the participants who completed the questionnaires were not fully representative of the schools from which they came. However, taking a multivariate approach to data analysis in which demographic and lifestyle variables could be controlled for statistically is deemed to have been an effective method for addressing this issue. Nevertheless, as the population studied came from a very specific demographic group , further research is needed that focuses on more representative samples.
Another limitation of the current research was that the chronicity of caffeine use was not taken into account. For instance, a weekly cycle of caffeine use in adolescents was reported by , in which consumption peaked during the weekend , and was lowest in the middle of the week . Coupled with the observations that adolescents sometimes use caffeinated products to delay sleep onset and to counteract the effects of sleepiness during the day , it is possible that the timing of administration of the questionnaire may have been of importance.
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Why Caffeine Plays A Role In Mood Issues And Sleep Disorders
Caffeine promotes the release of cortisol , triggering a stress response in the body. For some people, a stress response is synonymous with anxiety and panic, and it can contribute to other unpleasant states, such as mood swings and ruminations.
In terms of insomnia, I hear the same refrain over and over: How could one cup of coffee in the morning affect my sleep at night? We all underestimate how long caffeine lingers in the body. Caffeine has a half life of five to seven hours for most people. If you don’t remember this concept from high school chemistry, this means it takes about six hours for your body to metabolize half the caffeine, and another six hours to metabolize half of that. So a cup of coffee at 9 a.m. is still lingering in your body at bedtime, and having a cup of coffee at 3 p.m. is effectively like drinking half a cup of coffee at 9 p.m. We wouldn’t do that, but unwittingly, many of us are doing this all the time. Even a little bit of caffeine lingering in the body can disrupt the quality of your sleep.
The caffeine-insomnia connection is a pretty vicious cycle of getting bad sleep being tired during the day drinking coffee because you’re tired having crappy sleep at night because of so much coffee being tired during the day because of poor sleep quality and then feeling tempted to get another latte…
Associations Between Total Weekly Caffeine Intake And Stress Anxiety And Depression
Univariate associations between total weekly caffeine intake and stress, anxiety, and depression
Single items from the DABS were used to estimate weekly caffeine intake, with the following values being assigned: cup of coffee , cup of tea , can of cola , can of energy drink . The values used for coffee, tea, and cola, were based on updated versions of those reported by , which were themselves based on values provided by and the value used for energy drinks was the mean caffeine content of the three brands most commonly reported by the current sample . Caffeine totals consumed from coffee, tea, energy drinks, and cola were then added together to create a variable for total weekly consumption. It was found that caffeine intake was higher in males than females, both in total amount, as well as in that consumed from energy drinks, cola, and coffee . Total weekly caffeine was subsequently recoded into a categorical variable consisting of the following six consumption groups: 0 mg/w, 0.1250 mg/w, 250.1500 mg/w, 500.1750 mg/w, 750.11000 mg/w, > 1000 mg/w.
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Tips To Reduce Caffeine Intake
Reduce caffeine intake with these tips:
- Switch to low or no caffeine:Reduce caffeine intake by replacing foods and beverages that have little to no caffeine. To avoid caffeine withdrawal, start by reducing caffeine intake first. For example, try ordering half-caf coffee or switching your second cup of tea to herbal.
- Drink more water:Drinking more water will fight fatigue and improve mood and energy levels.
- Eat more foods with nutrients: Vitamin C, iron, magnesium, zinc, fiber, and the B complex vitamins may improve fatigue. These are found in milk, cheese, eggs, liver, poultry, organ meat, tuna, mackerel, salmon, clams, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and colorful and leafy green vegetables.
Caffeine Doesnt Create Energy
Caffeine is a stimulant drug that doesnt actually manufacture energy for the body. Rather, the stimulant effect makes the body feel energized by altering key chemicals in the brain. It blocks receptors in the brain from receiving signals to feel tired, Chantal Bacon notes, in addition to triggering that cortisol rush that helps our blood pump faster. Its energizing effects usually last 2 to 4 hours, then we crash.
Coffee and other caffeinated beverages essentially provide a false sense of anti-tiredness. And the more we rely on that cortisol surge to power through our day, the more we become reliant on caffeine, which can have trickle down effects on our sleep hygiene, causing us to go to bed later and feel more groggy in the morning and so the vicious cycle continues.
Granted, caffeine has been shown to increase mental and athletic performance. But, just like anything, too much of a good thing can be bad news. Its when we start on that second or third cup that our body may not be able to regulate the stress response as effectively, and anxiety symptoms can ramp up.
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How Much Coffee Is Too Much
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says healthy adults should not consume more than 400 milligrams of coffee a day, which equates to about four to five cups. However, the amount depends on age, gender, weight and genetics.
Its also important to keep in mind that caffeine isnt just in coffee, but can be found in tea, decaf coffee, energy drinks, pop and chocolate.
For anyone who experiences panic attacks and anxiety after drinking a cup of coffee, giving up caffeine may be a good solution.
If you plan on giving up coffee, its recommended to ween yourself off gradually to reduce the risk of experiencing withdrawal symptoms like headaches, anxiety and nervousness. If giving it up completely is too much, you may want to try limiting your daily caffeine intake.
Experts say drinking coffee or your favourite caffeinated beverage in low amounts can be beneficial. Caffeine can not only boost energy, but it can also improve physical and mental performance and help you burn fat.
Its when it gets past a certain level that it becomes detrimental to your mood, to your cognitive performance, Albers says. A little bit is a good thing, too much is not.
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The Downside Of Coffee
But coffee also has a dark sideand its not just that caffeine is addictive. When I was a practicing clinical nutritionist, I promised my clients Id never ask them to break up with caffeine , but I did ask them to assess their relationship with the drug , with a particular focus on how and if it contributed to their anxiety levels. In many cases, reducing their coffee intake led to reduced perceived levels of stress and anxiety.
Not to be the bearer of bad news, but caffeine is directly linked to increasing anxiety levels in those who are prone to it. Heres what you need to knowand how to curb your habit .
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Caffeine: it’s strong, it’s strong, it’ll keep you up around the clock. However sometimes a standard cup of java is simply not going to suffice. You require more. More! Drinking five cups in a row can offer you a stomach pains, though. What you need is a way to condense all five of those cups into one treacherous drink a high-caffeine coffee that is a cut above the rest.
Caffeine Is Even More Accessible
There are several caffeine sources available at your convenience, and its no longer coffee and tea. In our world today, you can consume caffeine by soda, coffee, tea, energy drinks, prescription drugs, painkillers, vitamins, and supplements. You never know when youre unintentionally taking caffeine, especially with medication that has caffeine in them. You should also be aware that labels arent always accurate, and caffeine effects are consistently underestimated. Even a 1/4 tablespoon of caffeine can cause acute anxiety, so if youre someone sensitive to caffeine, its likely to affect you. Its easier than ever to have overconsumption of caffeine, no matter what source it is. Most importantly, 1 tablespoon of caffeine is adequate to kill an adult, making it more deadly than ever.
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I Put Down My Coffee Cup In Search Of Serenity
At times, my anxiety spikes so much that I’m motivated to do whatever it takes to lessen itif that means giving up coffee. And did I mention that I really, really love coffee? Like, everything about coffee: the smell, the taste, the ritual, the warmth of the cup in my hands, the feeling of joy in my heart when I take that first sip. Some might even say that I have a coffee addiction.
I’ve been able to quit coffee a few times, but it’s never lasted very long. My most successful break from coffee happened eight years ago. I was acting and waiting tables at the time. Leading up to my coffee detox, I remember asking another waitress who was in graduate school to be a social worker if she thought I had Generalized Anxiety Disorder because I was so anxious. All. The. Time. Or maybe I just drank too much coffee?
I quit caffeine and soon after, went on a weeklong yoga retreat in Mexico that involved daily intense three-hour yoga classes, eating tons of fresh fruits and vegetables, and sipping smoothies on the beach. Without coffee on this trip, I slept soundly, woke up on my own before 7 am, and was bursting with energy. I’ve often thought if I were ever going to quit coffee again, I’d have to live in Mexico and do three hours of yoga a day.