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Brian Byrne, a tour manager in Los Angeles, was drinking a cold beer a few years ago when he began to feel sweaty. Soon, your symptoms got worse: breathing shallow feeling, feeling of emptiness in the chest and fast, strong heartbeat. She came up for air. “At that moment, she had racing thoughts, I felt like I was having a heart attack.“, says.
This wasn’t the first time Byrne experienced a caffeine-induced panic attack, but it was the most intense. “Drinking that coffee was like pouring gasoline on a fire that was already burning.”, remember. For a year afterward, she did not touch the material and did not have another serious episode.
Many people can identify with the anxiety related to caffeine from Mr. Byrne. While researchers can’t definitively say that caffeine causes anxiety, it is linked to an increased risk of anxiety among people with and without a psychiatric diagnosis.
Caffeine is a stimulant that affects the sympathetic nervous system, the part of the body responsible for the fight or flight response. When activated, heart rate increases and blood pressure increases, muscles tense and one may begin to sweat.
But caffeine is not the only thing that excites the nervous system. Any activity that raises adrenaline, such as exercising or riding a roller coaster, can stimulate a response.
When you exercise or take a walk, these sensations are not a surprise. “But The incongruity of sitting quietly at your desk while your heart is pounding, as it would if you’ve just had some caffeine, can cause some people to experience that anxiety-like excitement.”, highlights Joseph Trunzo, assistant director of the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences at Bryant University. Besides that, If a person subconsciously labels these symptoms as anxiety, it could reinforce the effect.
Other factors may also come into play. Caffeine acts against the brain chemical adenosinewhich slows the heart rate and promotes drowsiness and relaxation. “When we ingest caffeine and it blocks those receptors, adenosine can’t do its job,” explains Dr. Trunzo. Some scientists have speculated that blocking adenosine receptors could contribute to increased anxiety.
Caffeine can also disrupt sleep, particularly deep sleep, which helps keep anxiety at bay, says Dr. Sheenie Ambardar, a physician specializing in adult psychiatry in Beverly Hills, California. If coffee is consumed within eight and a half hours of bedtime, the caffeine could cause one to toss and turn, reducing the time spent in deep sleep. Even slight interruptions in sleep can increase anxiety levels the next day.
Caffeine affects everyone differently. “If even a small amount of caffeine causes anxiety, it is possible that you have a certain genetic variant that influences the way caffeine is metabolized,” says Lina Begdache, dietitian and associate professor of health and wellness studies at the University New York State in Binghamton. In this case, the caffeine will be processed more slowly, so it will stay in the system longer and build up, which could cause a more pronounced effect.
There is no way to eliminate caffeine through the system quickly, but Steps can be taken to control anxiety if it appears. Exercise can help distract you and reduce symptoms in the short term.
“Also “You could take a less physical approach: sit and acknowledge the sensations, rather than trying to fight them.”says Avigail Lev, a licensed clinical psychologist in San Francisco. She suggests asking yourself questions like: Where in my body do I feel this most intensely? Do you have size or color? When you recognize that you can live with your feelings and that you are not in danger, they become much less debilitating.
If your morning latte is believed to make your heart race and your palms sweat, there are ways to assess consumption.
“I always encourage my patients to collect data,” says Dr. Ambardar, who suggests writing down how much caffeine you drink and how you feel for a month. Caffeine sources and quantity should also be taken into account. The Food and Drug Administration has cited 400 milligrams per day (about four or five cups of coffee) as a safe amount for adults. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends limiting caffeine intake to 200 milligrams for pregnant women.
“The best way to find out what role the substance plays in your life is to stop using it and see what happens,” says Dr. Trunzo.
A few years ago, Ambardar had a patient who suffered from severe anxiety. I had a very stressful job and drank caffeine 24 hours a day. For several weeks, he reduced his consumption and felt much more comfortable. “He was very surprised and said that if he had known that was the cause, he would have cut it off much sooner,” he recalls.
It is also not necessary to stop using it suddenly. Instead, reduce slowly. If you drink four cups of coffee a day, “start small, like three and a half cups of coffee, then half a cup of decaf,” suggests Ambardar. After two weeks, you could cut back to three cups and continue that pattern.
“When you reduce overall anxiety, you will be less susceptible to the effects of caffeine,” says Dr. Begdache. During the year that Mr. Byrne, the tour manager, left the cafe, he began therapy and daily exercise. He has now added caffeine back in moderation.
You can also take steps to improve energy and thus rely less on caffeinesays Begdache. “It’s really a combination of factors that help you feel more energetic,” she explains. Therefore, you should prioritize sleep and exercise, staying hydrated, and eating a healthy diet. With these changes, you may find that latte is a pleasurable stimulus rather than a source of anxiety.
The New York Times
