I sometimes wonder if my mental health would be better than it is if I didn’t drink coffee. Then I realise I’m perhaps being hard on myself. I consume 3 10oz mugs of the stuff each day, reluctant as I am to cut it out (or even back) for fear of unwanted withdrawal symptoms. Because coffee, like any drug, causes withdrawal symptoms when it is swiftly stopped.
Caffeine, as we all know, is a stimulant, and it is found in the likes of coffee, tea and energy drinks. Thus, anything that is likely to amplify one’s anxiety symptoms is arguably to be avoided like the plague. It’s like following a strict workout regimen only to have a Maccies for dinner each night. It’s counter-productive, surely?
How much is too much? It is a widely held view that consuming up to 300mg of caffeine per day is perfectly safe for most people, although of course everybody’s tolerances differ, and for some (like anxiety sufferers) it may be wise to consume rather less. If you struggle with an anxiety disorder and drink tea or coffee, how much do you consume? And what noticeable impacts does it have on your mental state?
I can vividly recall past experiences in which I’ve consumed caffeine and it has raised my anxiety and stress considerably. I used to buy cans of Relentless and Red Bull in the supermarket and, oh boy, describing those bastards as ‘anxiety in a can’ was really rather accurate if I do say so myself. Even my first encounters with tea proved problematic - one brew at work one morning caused my adrenaline, heart rate and perspiration to elevate significantly, the ensuing long-lasting panic attack leading to genuine fears I was ‘losing it’.
So why drink it in the first place, even several years down the line and with my tolerance to it improved? I guess it’s become a morning ritual for me - wake up, take medication, have a coffee. And then another around lunchtime. And then another early- to mid-afternoon. I don’t find it impacts my sleep to any meaningful degree, although I do sometimes experience feelings of tiredness the next day, and the extent of said fatigue is seemingly dependent upon what time I had my final coffee the afternoon before.
I enjoy reading and writing, and find a mug of Joe does help me to concentrate and get stuck in to the task at hand. Though, as I said before, my tolerance is greater now than, say, a couple of years ago, so the effects may not be as pronounced as I’d like or expect.
I have a jar of decaf coffee in my cupboard, but it perhaps speaks volumes about my feelings towards decaf that it is rather more full than the regular caffeinated jar. Conversely, I find decaf coffee tastes stronger, and actually prompts similar releases of adrenaline - although the latter might be more imagined than real, such is the relatively tiny proportion of caffeine.
One day, I might reach the point whereby I’ve managed to substitute one or even two of my coffees for decaf, leaving just the one caffeinated beverage. And if - if - I do, I’ll be sure to report back on how my anxiety has changed, if at all…
Comments