Coffee and other caffeinated products can create a physical dependence, leading to chemical changes in the brain.
To be clear, caffeine has been associated with many positive side effects.
Yet, some people experience negative issues due to caffeine use or have difficulty coping without caffeine.
Though rare, there have even been cases of caffeine overdose.
What Is Caffeine Addiction?
Caffeine affects the brain’s reward system, which triggers the release of a chemical called dopamine.
Caffeine is the most widely used drug worldwide.
People may rely on caffeine to compensate for sleep disorders.
Caffeine has been associated with increased blood pressure and heart rhythm changes.
Some caffeinated products, such as coffee and soda, can cause gastrointestinal disturbances.
There is also a question of whether caffeine might increase your risk of osteoporosis.
One study found this to be the case for women in menopause with high caffeine intake.
Caffeine can also decrease your health bydisturbing your sleepif consumed within six hours of bedtime.
When you are sleep deprived, it makes it harder to function efficiently during the day.
Sleep is also when your body heals, making it essential for total health and immune function.
Excessive caffeine intake can also have an impact on mental health.
This can result incaffeine withdrawal, which produces symptoms that are the opposite of consuming too much.
This effect can be especially profound in people who are addicted to caffeine.
How Long Does Caffeine Withdrawal Last?
Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal typically start around 12 to 24 hours after your last caffeine dose.
You may experience these symptoms for between two to nine days.
Other Conditions
People who are overstimulated with caffeine can also exhibit symptoms consistent withattention deficit disorders.
Conversely, caffeine withdrawal shares similar symptoms withmood disorders.
Caffeine Can Induce Other Disorders
Some disorders are triggered by the use of caffeine.
Examples of these types of disorders include caffeine-induced anxiety disorder and caffeine-induced sleep disorder.
Do You Have a Caffeine Addiction?
Therefore, this should be accounted for when determining your normal intake.
Pay Attention to How You Feel
Make a note of any side effectsyou experience after consuming caffeine.
Also, note any adverse effects you feel if you lower your normal intake or skip caffeine entirely.
Doyour relationshipssuffer if you don’t get your morning coffee, for instance?
Could your caffeine intake be contributing to yourwork anxiety?
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
Your doctor can help you move past this without giving in.
Your doctor can help you devise a suitable plan based on your typical caffeine consumption.
This can help reduce or eliminate any withdrawal effects.
Consider using over-the-counter pain medications like Tylenol or ibuprofen to relieve headache symptoms.
The right treatment could make a huge difference for you.
Caffeine addiction often overlaps with other behavioral addictions,such assugar addiction.
So, you might find that evaluating your caffeine intake also identifies other behaviors that need to be addressed.
Low or moderate amounts are safe and may even have certain health benefits.
Excessive intake, however, can adversely affect health and lead to caffeine addiction.
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