If you're like millions of others worldwide, you likely enjoy starting your morning with a nice cup of coffee. Even if you don't like coffee all that much, there is a good chance you want to drink caffeinated beverages in the morning to get your brain working. It's common for people to drink several caffeinated beverages throughout the day, but this might not necessarily be good for you. Did you know that caffeine and anxiety are related? Some people who drink too much caffeine have noted that it makes them anxious and could even worsen things for those with anxiety disorders.
This is problematic for many people because they enjoy a lot of caffeinated drinks. If you love coffee, then suddenly hearing that it's not good for you could make your heart sink just a little bit. Do you need to stop drinking caffeine since it could impact your anxiety? Or is it safe to keep drinking it in moderation? Read on to explore this topic further so that you can make your own decision about whether or not to reduce your caffeine intake.
How Caffeine Can Impact Your Anxiety
The first thing you must understand about caffeine is that it is a stimulant. This is a drug that can make you feel more alert than usual. It specifically blocks adenosine in the brain so that you won't be as sleepy, and you'll likely feel a bit of an energy boost when you drink a caffeinated beverage. This can be great for people who don't have anxiety, but for those that do, drinking caffeine can lead to several problems. For example, you might wind up experiencing anxiety at night that will keep you from sleeping. Many people with anxiety have issues with insomnia due to caffeine intake.
Does caffeine cause anxiety? It can contribute to it when you're drinking too much of it. Some people drink a lot of caffeine daily because that is what they're used to doing. There's a difference between someone who has one or maybe two cups of coffee in the morning and someone who drinks coffee throughout the day. Also, people enjoy caffeinated beverages such as sodas or energy drinks. These can be problematic for those with anxiety conditions; you might be better off staying away from them.
Caffeine intake can impact your anxiety condition if you drink too much. Studies have shown that caffeine can significantly affect depression and anxiety symptoms. Researchers have already proven that caffeine intake will exacerbate anxiety in people suffering from it. Those who have social anxiety issues or panic disorders might be especially susceptible. Knowing this, some people will likely want to avoid caffeine entirely. Whether or not you will want to keep drinking caffeinated beverages in moderation might depend on your anxiety and how much caffeine impacts you personally.
It might be a good idea to take the time to speak to your doctor about how you're feeling. Discuss your caffeine intake with your doctor to determine if you need to make changes. Your doctor might recommend abstaining from caffeine, but it's more likely that the doctor will caution against moderation. This could also depend on what medications you're taking and whether caffeine intake could interact with medicines you might be on. As always, following your doctor's advice will be paramount.
Caffeine Withdrawal Anxiety
It might sound strange to some, but caffeine withdrawal can also cause you to experience anxiety. If you said to yourself, "coffee gives me anxiety," and stopped drinking it suddenly, you might wind up going through caffeine withdrawal. This occurs when your body is used to receiving a certain amount of caffeine, and you stop drinking it suddenly. The symptoms of caffeine withdrawal include irritability, nervousness, anxiety, depression, fatigue, headaches, tremors, and trouble concentrating on things. As you can tell, this is a big problem for those who want to cut their caffeine intake.
If you're considering getting away from drinking caffeinated beverages, you'll want to do it responsibly. You can avoid caffeine withdrawal symptoms by reducing your caffeine intake over time. You cut it down to four if you drink six cups of coffee daily. A few weeks later, you cut it down to two and keep doing this until you aren't consuming any caffeinated beverages. It's a safer way to do it that will keep you from getting headaches and feeling anxious.
How Much Is Caffeine Too Much?
The FDA recommends keeping your caffeine intake under 400 milligrams per day. This should allow you to drink several soft drinks. If you're a coffee drinker, this should equal around three or four cups, depending on your coffee's strength. To keep the caffeine amounts in check, you'll need to check the nutritional content of the caffeinated beverages you're drinking. Otherwise, you'd just be playing a guessing game. It's easy to find the caffeine amounts on soda/pop cans, and you should also see that information on your coffee can or bags.
Remember that going above the recommended daily limit of caffeine is when you're going to start experiencing issues. Restlessness, nervousness, shaking, and increased heart rate can occur. It will be best to pay attention to how much caffeine you're drinking. You might not need to cut caffeine from your diet completely, but you should try to drink it in moderation. Consider replacing caffeinated beverages with a healthy drink that you enjoy. Or you could drink water throughout the day since it's much more beneficial.
Don't Some People Drink Tea For Anxiety?
You might have heard about people using anti-anxiety tea to help them calm their nerves. If caffeine is supposed to cause anxiety, why would tea be good for it? Firstly, caffeine is safe to drink in specific doses, as established above. Secondly, on average, tea contains less caffeine than a brewed cup of coffee. If you drink tea in moderation, it might be good for calming your nerves. Many people consider chamomile tea to be the best tea for anxiety.
Of course, tea is not a proper treatment for anxiety, and you shouldn't use it as a replacement to treat anxiety symptoms. It's just something that some people use as a small coping mechanism. You might enjoy having chamomile tea after a tough day at work. This can be perfectly fine so long as you aren't drinking fifteen cups of tea and making your caffeine intake numbers go through the roof. It's just about being mindful of caffeine limitations.
Remember To Get Help With Your Anxiety Symptoms
If you are feeling anxious, getting help for your anxiety makes sense. Some people hesitate to reach out to a doctor because they aren't sure whether they're experiencing anxiety. This is where taking an anxiety test can come in handy. An anxiety test will help you learn how much pressure you're experiencing to know when to seek help. This isn't meant to be a diagnostic tool, but it will encourage you to see your doctor if you get results that warrant it. Taking the anxiety test is simple and will help you make an informed decision.
You can get diagnosed with an anxiety disorder by your doctor if you have one. If your anxiety is related to excessive caffeine intake, you can work with your doctor to make significant lifestyle changes. Either way, your doctor is going to be there to help. Issues like this can be complicated, and more people deal with these problems than you likely realize. Thankfully, you'll always have the support that you need.
Therapists can also help you out when your anxiety is getting worse. Sometimes caffeine intake isn't the only thing making your concern worse, and you might need someone to talk to about it. A therapist can help you work through anxiety issues over time to feel better about life. No one has to face anxiety issues alone when professional therapists are available. It has even become easy to contact professionals without leaving the house. There are convenient online therapy options to consider, and getting your anxiety under control will be much easier when you rely on respected experts.
