Caffeine induced anxiety again... :)
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Join Date: Jun 2015
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Caffeine induced anxiety again... :)
Recently I made a post about I had a huge anxiety attack after drinking coffee. Coffee was never a problem for me, until I got sober.
Right now, once again, I'm having a huge anxiety attack.
It'll pass though, I've had therapy and learned how to deal with it.
But it was surprising how it happened. I didn't drink coffee, but just a little bit of green tea. Which has only a very small amount of caffeine in it compared to coffee. So I figured that would be alright.
Nope.
It seems that I've become very sensitive to caffeine. So I'm staying away from it completely. I can live with that. I'll drink water instead.
Maybe it'll turn back to the way it used to be some time in the future, but I'm going to wait for a long time.
Ok, time to wait for the world to stop looking hazy (one of the symptoms).
Right now, once again, I'm having a huge anxiety attack.
It'll pass though, I've had therapy and learned how to deal with it.But it was surprising how it happened. I didn't drink coffee, but just a little bit of green tea. Which has only a very small amount of caffeine in it compared to coffee. So I figured that would be alright.
Nope.
It seems that I've become very sensitive to caffeine. So I'm staying away from it completely. I can live with that. I'll drink water instead.
Maybe it'll turn back to the way it used to be some time in the future, but I'm going to wait for a long time.
Ok, time to wait for the world to stop looking hazy (one of the symptoms).
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 48
Green tea and teas in general make my anxiety go through the roof...shaking, panic attacks, etc.
For some reason, though, coffee doesn't hit me like that. I wonder if there's a difference in the way the body metabolizes tea caffeine vs. coffee caffeine that makes tea worse for me...? Maybe it's the same with you?
For some reason, though, coffee doesn't hit me like that. I wonder if there's a difference in the way the body metabolizes tea caffeine vs. coffee caffeine that makes tea worse for me...? Maybe it's the same with you?
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Originally Posted by RonMedford 
Green tea and teas in general make my anxiety go through the roof...shaking, panic attacks, etc.
For some reason, though, coffee doesn't hit me like that. I wonder if there's a difference in the way the body metabolizes tea caffeine vs. coffee caffeine that makes tea worse for me...? Maybe it's the same with you?
For some reason, though, coffee doesn't hit me like that. I wonder if there's a difference in the way the body metabolizes tea caffeine vs. coffee caffeine that makes tea worse for me...? Maybe it's the same with you?
I have the same response to both coffee and tea.
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Somewhere in California
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Originally Posted by RonMedford
Green tea and teas in general make my anxiety go through the roof...shaking, panic attacks, etc.
For some reason, though, coffee doesn't hit me like that. I wonder if there's a difference in the way the body metabolizes tea caffeine vs. coffee caffeine that makes tea worse for me...? Maybe it's the same with you?
For some reason, though, coffee doesn't hit me like that. I wonder if there's a difference in the way the body metabolizes tea caffeine vs. coffee caffeine that makes tea worse for me...? Maybe it's the same with you?
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
I've had very similar experiences.
My current theory is that my alcohol and drug use were always related to anxiety. I believe that in sobriety, my "unmasked" anxiety then came to the fore and any sympathomimetic agent (of which caffeine is certainly a leading example) has a tendency to trigger or worsen it.
I have observed that under some circumstances, I can drink caffeine and notice almost no impact to anxiety - yet under others, even a little bit of coffee sets of sweating and shortness of breath and tightness in my chest.
When I speak with many "normal" people about caffeine's impact to them, they seem (even the heaviest coffee drinkers) not to have these experiences.
SO.... I think minimizing caffeine is probably a good idea, but my working hypothesis is that it's really what's under the anxiety that I need to focus on.
That's a continual process of working to be more comfortable in my own skin, acceptance of what I can / can't change, letting go of expectations from others regarding what they may think of me.... generally becoming more OK with ME and with life around me.
I can drink coffee all morning long with no noticeable impact - but give me a cup of coffee in a crowd of people I've never met and ask me to give a short talk on a topic I'm supposed to be an "expert" and watch me sweat right through my shirt.
My current theory is that my alcohol and drug use were always related to anxiety. I believe that in sobriety, my "unmasked" anxiety then came to the fore and any sympathomimetic agent (of which caffeine is certainly a leading example) has a tendency to trigger or worsen it.
I have observed that under some circumstances, I can drink caffeine and notice almost no impact to anxiety - yet under others, even a little bit of coffee sets of sweating and shortness of breath and tightness in my chest.
When I speak with many "normal" people about caffeine's impact to them, they seem (even the heaviest coffee drinkers) not to have these experiences.
SO.... I think minimizing caffeine is probably a good idea, but my working hypothesis is that it's really what's under the anxiety that I need to focus on.
That's a continual process of working to be more comfortable in my own skin, acceptance of what I can / can't change, letting go of expectations from others regarding what they may think of me.... generally becoming more OK with ME and with life around me.
I can drink coffee all morning long with no noticeable impact - but give me a cup of coffee in a crowd of people I've never met and ask me to give a short talk on a topic I'm supposed to be an "expert" and watch me sweat right through my shirt.
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Margate, UK
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I've been drinking far too much coffee since I quit booze. Need to stop that. I have Cyclothymia/bipolar so I shouldn't be drinking it anyway, it makes the symptoms much worse. But I can't seem to quit!
Tea always affected me much worse than coffee, too. Glad it not just me.
Tea always affected me much worse than coffee, too. Glad it not just me.
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: baltimore, maryland
Posts: 463
Same thing happened to me....used to drink a pot a day while drinking alcoholically. After I got sober I couldn't touch anything with the least bit of caffeine in it. Even a coke will make me a nervous wreck...I hate that feeling..feels like withdrawal. I'll stick with clear sodas!
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Thanks for all the replies.
You know, I've had intensive CBT. Full-time, Mo - Fr, 8:30 AM - 4 PM for 7 months. The therapists there told me that sometimes people come there for therapy and the only thing they needed to do to get rid of their problem is to quit drinking coffee. Some people are very sensitive to it and alcohol has made me sensitive to it. I think it'll pass when my brain is restored. Or not. I really don't care. I can live without it.
You know, I've had intensive CBT. Full-time, Mo - Fr, 8:30 AM - 4 PM for 7 months. The therapists there told me that sometimes people come there for therapy and the only thing they needed to do to get rid of their problem is to quit drinking coffee. Some people are very sensitive to it and alcohol has made me sensitive to it. I think it'll pass when my brain is restored. Or not. I really don't care. I can live without it.
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: US
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JerryFish. Part of my sobriety plan from the beginning was to do everything I could minimize all causes of my anxiety. Among other things, I stopped all caffeine: coffee, teas, soda... And it has really helped me. I don't feel jittery and on-edge through the day - which has helped me remain calm.
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