I know I don’t make any friends with this one… but my goal is to offer helpful information.
Caffeine is an anxiogenic drug–i.e., it causes anxiety. Some of us are slow metabolizers, meaning it can have an even stronger impact. If you suspect caffeine impacts your anxiety (if you’re anxious and you consume caffeine, it probably does), I recommend gradually decreasing your caffeine consumption to see if your anxiety improves.
For anybody drinking coffee and taking meds for anxiety or insomnia, recognize that you’re taking an anxiogenic drug in the morning to wake up, and then another drug to treat the anxiety caused by the anxiogenic drug, and perhaps still another drug to treat the insomnia exacerbated by caffeine. Ideally you would avoid the drug that’s causing anxiety and insomnia in the first place.
I know caffeine is our favorite ritual and sometimes feels like our one true friend in the world. Just remember that caffeine feels so good because it’s the antidote to its own withdrawal.
Remember to make any and all changes GRADUALLY. Caffeine is a real drug with a real withdrawal.
