How do you feel about coffee?

[anxiousaimee]

When I was at my worst I cut coffee out of my diet all together, I would have done anything someone suggested to lower my anxiety.

Now I drink coffee again, but I still suffer from anxiety, I have just learnt how to adjust my life so that the anxiety and life and can work more in harmony with each other, or something.

But if I want to be completely anxiety free, and be able to one day get a job, should I cut coffee out all together?

[lsapphirel]

I wouldnt recommend coffee esp with anxiety lurking. It will just trigger your anxiety. Maybe lay off it for awhile? Till you feel better and will be able to handle your anxiety much better?

I havent touch coffee since i had the PA, i dont think i would want to have coffee at this point, in the future, when im fully recovered, maybe i will just have a sip here and there. But i wont make it a habit anymore. But if it still triggers anxiety, i dont see the need for me to be drinking coffee and have anxiety mess me up over and over again.

[laurandisorder]

Sadly I'm a caffeine addict - or I was. I have been guzzling down diet coke (by the liter) for so long that I was completely immune to caffeine.

Until anxiety struck.

In the 4 years that I have been dealing with this off and on, I have cut out caffeine twice. I have had to take Valium to prevent anticipatory anxiety and when my doctor informed me that the tiny amount I was taking would instantly be made redundant by my breakfast (a grande skinny flat white). I decided I had to stop.

You have to cut down slowly or you'll get excruciating headaches. Sadly, I haven't been able to stay off the Joe.

I find that one of the side effects of dealing with anxiety almost daily (and taking Valium accordingly) and working full time on NO caffeine left me exhausted. Totally physically drained, so I decided to make some adjustments.

I have one low-caffeine instant coffee or a cup of tea in the morning and I have a nespresso when I get home before my evening run - that way I burn off any excess. I sometimes have a diet coke too.

Now that I am taking in reasonable levels of caffeine, boy do I feel it! I drink slowly and If I start to feel too shaky, I simply don't finish my cup and make sure I have a lot of water.

If you're highly anxious, I do recommend cutting it out - in that state my body was sensitive to EVERY stimulant. I couldn't even drink Berocca because of the Vitamin B in it!!

But of you're a caffeine addict, you can find ways around it!

[dazza]

Pre-anxiety, I used to drink several cups of tea a day but thought absolutely nothing of it... and wouldn't consciously notice any difference in energy before and after
the tea. I'd simply see it as a pleasant drink and nothing more.

Having developed anx. disorder, I, like all of us, desperately searched down all avenues for help and, again, like all of us, looked at caffeine as a possible influence.

Anxiety, in particular "fight or flight" felt like a state of hyper energy... which of course it is, thanks to adrenalin.
If caffeine ALSO gives energy, then I logically figured that I need to reduce energy wherever possible... so cut caffeine out altogether.

I saw this as a little help, NOT a cure, and indeed it did seem to help somewhat.

But, having been through the worst and now fighting just the tail-end of it... I'm back to thinking that caffeine will have no effect whatsoever on my day.
It seems to me that a good nights kip and a general GOOD MOOD in the morning is ALL what I need to keep fight or flight at bay.

[alankay]

No... coffee doesn't cause anxiety. It just can speed up your CNS and make it a tad worse so I avoid it when anxious but I have coffee daily(instant which has about 1/2 the caffeine) and when just avoid it when I'm anxious. Anxiety came first, not coffee. Alankay

[Chiliphil1]

I do have the occasional cup of coffee, but I don't drink nearly what I used to. I also used to have a big habit of drinking soft drinks, I would drink 15-20 cans of soda a day, full sugar not diet (no wonder I've always been fat) and I also drank monster energy drinks like water!

Once anxiety set in I found that I couldn't handle the energy drinks, monsters make me very anxious, plus I've learned they are bad for you, and I'm trying to live healthier. I'm also on nothing but diet drinks, again health reasons, not anxiety.

I have also found that tea does not seem to cause me anxiety, except for the kind with ginseng and if I drink too much, it will.

[inzombiac]

When I was at my worst I cut coffee out of my diet all together, I would have done anything someone suggested to lower my anxiety.

Now I drink coffee again, but I still suffer from anxiety, I have just learnt how to adjust my life so that the anxiety and life and can work more in harmony with each other, or something.

But if I want to be completely anxiety free, and be able to one day get a job, should I cut coffee out all together?

Me personally....nooooo caffeine. None!

[Buttercup]

Some people are just more sensitive to caffeine than others. If you are one of the people that is sensitive then it's best to avoid it and stick to decaffeinated drinks. If you drink a lot of coffee, coke, tea, energy drinks etc then gradually cut it down as suddenly stopping caffeine can also lead to feelings of anxiety.

If you want to be anxiety free then just cutting out caffeine won't do it. Meds (if necessary), therapy and other lifestyle changes are the key.

[raggamuffin]

Hi all,

I used to drink a lot of coffee 5+ cups a day and tea as well. Nowadays I tend to stick to herbal teas such as peppermint, ginger & lemon and chamomile. I also make sure I drink plenty of water everyday. I might have a green tea once every few days.

I used to be a chocolate and sugar addict too but i've also completely removed that from my diet as well. Well, except for fruit ;)

Ed

[ADD]

I was having a double espresso when I had my first panic attack, so I don't like coffee anymore..it's been over four months that I haven't touched it. I hope I never will.