Around the Fringe of Excessive Caffeine?
My inspiration for scripting this article is a reaction to the numerous incidents in my clinical practice treating those with anxiety disorders and under-diagnosed caffeine intoxication. Every time a new client reports high anxiety it has a tendency to go much the same way: The consumer comes into session complaining of tension and panic symptoms with lots of reports of panic and anxiety attacks and follow-up visits with all the psychiatrist, pleading for anti-anxiolytic medications. Many people don’t know about the physiological consequences of consuming an excessive amount of caffeine, and the way they’re commonly confused with panic and anxiety symptoms. Restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, flushed face, muscle twitching, rambling flow of speech, increased heartrate and psychomotor agitation to name a few. They are the same as panic-like symptoms (Association, 2013).
Caffeine assists you to wake since it stimulates different parts of the body. When consumed, it improves the neurotransmitters norepinephrine inside the brain, resulting in increased levels making it be alert and awake. Caffeine produces the same physiological response as you were stressed. This brings about increased amounts of activity inside the sympathetic nervous system and releases adrenaline. The same response you can get on the stressful commute to operate, or seeing a snake slither over the path on a hiking trip. Caffeine consumption also minimizes the volume of Thiamine (Vitamin B1) within the body. Thiamine is a known anti-stress vitamin (Bourne, 2000).
While writing this article one morning I observed the fishing line at my local cafe. The long line wrapped throughout the store jammed with individuals wanting to awaken, anxious for their daily caffeine fix. Many ordered large-sized coffee cups, a few of which included caffeine turbo shots to help them survive their mornings. So, just how will we know when we’ve had an excessive amount of caffeine? Most assume their daily level of caffeine has little if not do with their daily emotional health.
Let’s talk about the amount of milligrams have been in a daily average sized 8 oz cup of coffee:
Instant coffee = 66 mg
Percolated coffee = 110 mg
Coffee, drip = 146 mg
Decaffeinated coffee = about 4 mg
Caffeine are available in numerous sources besides coffee. The common bag depending on the color as well as the amount of time steeped contains roughly under 40 mg of caffeine per serving (Bourne, 2000).
Many popular soda drinks also contain caffeine:
Cola = 65 mg
Dr. Pepper = 61 mg
Mountain Dew = 55 mg
Diet Dr. Pepper = 54 mg
Diet Cola = 49 mg
Pepsi-Cola = 43 mg
Even cocoa has about 13 mg of caffeine per serving (Bourne, 2000). Energy drinks have high caffeine levels and will be monitored also. To find out your total level of caffeine multiple the amount of consumed caffeinated beverages through the indicated average caffeine levels in the list above. Remember that one cup equals 8 oz. Because you’re consuming one large cup does not mean a couple of seconds counts as you serving!
According the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) Caffeine Intoxication is really a diagnosable mental health condition. Lots of the clients I treat for various anxiety-related disorders concurrently fall under the caffeine intoxication category. They eagerly seek psychiatric medication to scale back anxiety symptoms without first being assessed for lifestyle and daily stimulant consumption. The DSM-V’s criteria for caffeine intoxication means anyone that consumes over 250 mg of caffeine per day (compare your average caffeine level to 250 mg to gauge the volume of caffeine you take in daily) (Association, 2013). After just two cups of drip coffee you already met the criteria for caffeine intoxication! It’s recommended that folks without anxiety problems consume below 100 mg of caffeine per day. If you have anxiety troubles you need to have 0 mg of caffeine per day in order that the anxiety arousal system isn’t triggered by anxiety-induced substances.
The majority of the clients who report struggling with panic attacks recall on the day they’d panic or anxiety attack that they can usually consumed an extra caffeinated beverage, when compared to the days without anxiety attacks. Once a client is assessed for caffeine intoxication the primary steps I take is usually to develop a behavioral want to profit the client reduce their daily caffeine. Virtually all my clients figure out that after having cut down on their caffeine they quickly feel great and much less anxious. When the client is right down to 0 mg is when I can finally ascertain perhaps the anxiety symptoms are connected with anxiety, caffeine intoxication, or both.
Should you meet the requirements for caffeine intoxication there are numerous methods for you to reduce your caffeine levels. High doses (particularly those inside the caffeine intoxication zone over 250 mg) are greatly vunerable to caffeine withdrawal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, depressed or irritable mood, difficulty concentrating and muscle stiffness (Association, 2013). It’s recommended to slowly reduce your level of caffeine to reduce withdrawal symptoms. For optimum results try lowering by one caffeinated beverage monthly (Bourne, 2000). By way of example if you consume five glasses of coffee per day try scaling down to four cups each day for a month, then as a result of three cups each day for the following month and continue before you are at least under 100 mg otherwise 0 mg.
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