Coffee ☕️

[OnMyLast Legs]

Does anyone find it makes mental health worse? I think quitting might stop my anxiety. The worst part of the day is when I'm "high" on caffeine. I only have one cup/day. Down from 2-3. They say it's an antidepressant but I don't know. Curious to hear your thoughts.

 

[heywey]

Definitely with you. It always sets off my anxiety, no matter how little I have. I can't touch the stuff.

I do have yerba mate pretty regularly though, it has caffeine too but makes me feel, well, focused, energized and uplifted, like what other people say coffee gives them. Doesn't taste as good though :/

 

[meiherasoru_]

I don't drink coffee because it's disgusting; I guess it depends on other people's tastes.

 

[alwayspissedoff]

I suppose it depends on how used to it you are. I've had an addiction to it for some years now myself, and I once tried to drop it for some time to see if my anxiety would go down, but nope, I felt the same, I guess because my body already has caffeine resistance.
if you're not used to it though, i'm pretty sure caffeine can spike your anxiety if you already have anxiety, just because of how it works in your brain.

 

[OnMyLast Legs]

@alwayspissedoff I've drunk insane amounts of coffee over the last 18 years. I've been off for short periods, and I've had manic and depressive episodes. Usually I spiral into depression without it, but my brain is always changing. I still think that maybe being drugfree will make me healthy. But I probably need Rx at least.

 

[IsolatedChaos]

More than anxiety, I can tell it's affecting me physically; at times I start having a sensation of popping in my ears because of it and I don't even drink that much, I don't know why it happens.
Would living without coffee do me better? Yes, probably.
But sadly I have an insane lack of energy throughout most moments of the day because of my depression. Even *with* the coffee, if you leave me alone on a couch for more than 20 minutes I'm out. We've done blood tests but they've turned out alright so- nope, just mental exhaustion. That and, I will admit, a total lack of a diet, but from my experience I spent YEARS with that same horrible diet and didn't feel so exhausted. With luck I'll get to work on my ED soon, my psychiatrist said she's trying to get me into a program. At least I really enjoy the taste haha

 

[OnMyLast Legs]

Made the mistake of a second cup today and now all the mistakes of my life seem even less bearable. I have to cut this shit out, constipation and headache be damned. Time to rely on Tylenol and Advil.

Rx stack now includes Wellbutrin and Abilify which should perk me up a little. At least it seems like they do that.

 

[Hvergelmir]

Made the mistake of a second cup today and now all the mistakes of my life seem even less bearable. I have to cut this shit out, constipation and headache be damned. Time to rely on Tylenol and Advil.

Rx stack now includes Wellbutrin and Abilify which should perk me up a little. At least it seems like they do that.

A lot of people are switching to tea. I recommend that you try that.
Even with the much lower caffein content, it effectively removes my withdrawal. I always keep a box of Earl Grey for when the coffee runs out.

If nothing else, it might be a good intermediate step.

 

[OnMyLast Legs]

A lot of people are switching to tea. I recommend that you try that.
Even with the much lower caffein content, it effectively removes my withdrawal. I always keep a box of Earl Grey for when the coffee runs out.

If nothing else, it might be a good intermediate step.

Good call. You gotta eat with it though. Tea on an empty stomach is unpleasant.

 

[OnMyLast Legs]

I have a huge confounder here: nicotine. I make myself anxious all day with these two drugs.

My life is objectively shit, but the mind is its own place. The pills seem to be working. I think the unbearable anxiety can go away if I just stop.

Today is a long day (I got up at 3:30am and had my coffee down by 4). After a long sleep tonight I might be able to just cold turkey quit both.

 

[Spicy Tteokbokki]

It definitely improves my mental health, mostly at least.
It helps me self-medicate my ADHD and makes me way, way happier than without.
It does make me more sensitive to things, though, but it paradoxically also can take the edge off things when I do feel anxious.

 

[OnMyLast Legs]

It definitely improves my mental health, mostly at least.
It helps me self-medicate my ADHD and makes me way, way happier than without.
It does make me more sensitive to things, though, but it paradoxically also can take the edge off things when I do feel anxious.

Honestly, I think I'm hooked. My problem might have been too LITTLE coffee.

 

[Spicy Tteokbokki]

Honestly, I think I'm hooked. My problem might have been too LITTLE coffee.

Maybe
If I drink too little coffee I can feel bad, but once I hit that sweetspot things just click for me.
It also does help to at times take breaks off of caffeine to let your sensitivity come back, but it doesn't take too long in my experience.

 

[UtopianSoliloquies]

Huge coffee enjoyer here. I don't drink a lot of it; I have one cup a day on most days and two at the very most. If you're drinking coffee and feel like the caffeine is hitting you immediately, try being mindful of what you're having it with. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach or after you haven't eaten for a bit will make you absorb it much faster. I usually have coffee with breakfast and it's a very subtle energy boost, but I've had the same cup before when I hadn't eaten and it felt like I was a reanimated corpse. Even if it's just a fruit or something, try to eat while drinking coffee.

 

[OnMyLast Legs]

Huge coffee enjoyer here. I don't drink a lot of it; I have one cup a day on most days and two at the very most. If you're drinking coffee and feel like the caffeine is hitting you immediately, try being mindful of what you're having it with. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach or after you haven't eaten for a bit will make you absorb it much faster. I usually have coffee with breakfast and it's a very subtle energy boost, but I've had the same cup before when I hadn't eaten and it felt like I was a reanimated corpse. Even if it's just a fruit or something, try to eat while drinking coffee.

Good advice. I'm back to thinking coffee produces my anxiety, racing thoughts, feeling like I NEED to die, etc. Maybe food would help.

 

[Spicy Tteokbokki]

Good advice. I'm back to thinking coffee produces my anxiety, racing thoughts, feeling like I NEED to die, etc. Maybe food would help.

Do you have the same dose of caffeine every single day? I know I can feel that way if I have coffee at other places than at home, because I don't know how much coffee is used at those places.

 

[OnMyLast Legs]

Do you have the same dose of caffeine every single day? I know I can feel that way if I have coffee at other places than at home, because I don't know how much coffee is used at those places.

It's pretty steady. The second one I often have out of the house but unless it's Starbucks it's weaker than mine.