"Caffeine is one of the only legal psychoactive drugs out there. And it directly impacts the nervous system. For those who are prone to anxiety, this can be especially problematic. You may not even realize how much it's affecting you because its use is so normalized. But if you're struggling with persistent anxiety, fatigue, or difficulty focusing, your daily caffeine habit might be doing more harm than good."
"A recent 2024 review found that caffeine intake is linked to increased anxiety, even in people without anxiety disorders. And for people with panic disorder or generalized anxiety? Caffeine often makes things worse. Caffeine stimulates the release of adrenaline-the same hormone your body releases in a real emergency. That's great if you're dodging a car in traffic, not so great if you're just trying to write an email without spiraling into anxiety."
Caffeine is a legal psychoactive drug that directly impacts the nervous system. For people prone to anxiety, caffeine can be especially problematic and may worsen panic or generalized anxiety. A 2024 review found that caffeine intake is linked to increased anxiety even in people without anxiety disorders. Caffeine stimulates adrenaline release, activating the fight-or-flight response and producing symptoms such as jitteriness, racing thoughts, and heart palpitations. Caffeine produces short energy spikes followed by crashes via blood-sugar effects and can steal real restorative energy, contributing to chronic fatigue and reduced focus. Normalized daily use can mask these harms.
Read at Psychology Today
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