YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

I have been addicted to caffeine for probably ten years or so. It's causing me more harm than good, especially with my severe anxiety. But I honesty cannot imagine a day without any caffeine. I drink all types of it throughout the day Monday thru Friday (to get through the work day.) If I don't have any caffeine I notice right away the migraines, fatigue, more anxiety, lack of concentration, boredom, and irritability. I will drink a couple cups of regular coffee in the morning and then switch to energy drinks during the day. On top of this I take add meds and I'm a smoker. I know it's so bad for me but I need some good tips on how to stop. I just imagined how much better I'd feel if I quit drinking caffeine and just drank tons of water all day and nothing else. I bet it would solve a lot of my problems guys! But I've tried to quit before by switching to tea and I didn't even last a day!

Tips:

Quitting is a matter of opportunity. Decide you're going to and then wait. Moments will arise; in which you can chip away at your addiction. If you evict it wholesale it will stick you in your emotion centre. Sneak away.

Actually savour what you're putting in your mouth. It's difficult if it's something so repetitive; but it's like deep listening to flavour sing instead of just hearing that matter has gone to your stomach.

The way you view food/drink is the way you view personal relationships. If they keep you energised but feel kind of monotonous; you can change that.

Hello Jitterz,

I have definitely struggled with cutting back on caffeine. During college I used to drink coffee in the morning and energy drinks at night. You know, I hear all the time about caffeine isn't harmful, but people who say that clearly don't struggle with anxiety or addiction.

I kept trying to cut back on caffeine, but I really wasn't able to until I quit smoking. I haven't been able to stop caffeine completely, but I now I only drink coffee in the morning. I honestly quit smoking and cut back on the caffeine with the help of a counselor trained in CBT. You know what is the most striking since I cut back? That I take less naps. It doesn't make any sense but before when I was drinking all that caffeine I slept all the time. I don't know if that is directly related or of it is that I was depressed.

If you want to know what my CBT counselor told me to do was to set clear goals with whatever I tried to do. It had to have a realistic date that I was going to my goal, end goal date, and ways to measure my progress. The attainable goal portion was the hardest part. I often design goals that were actually difficult to attain such as I'm not going to drink any energy drinks after March 1st. My counselor was more like how about we cut back by half a can each day for a week.

Also, tea is awful.

Welp

Thank you both for your input. I see my therapist tomorrow morning and I'll definitely bring this up. Even though she pisses me off sometimes. CBT is so hard to do. But I know it's the right thing for me.

Hi, Jitterz. I'm also a caffeine addict who also suffers from anxiety. I have severely cut back or eliminated caffeine intake and have found that it does help me manage my anxiety, but I miss the rush of energy that caffeine gives me so much that I always go back to it.

Did your therapist have any helpful suggestions? Where are you at with this issue now?

I battled caffeine addiction throughout my adult life. For me, it was caffeine pills and sodas. I quit many times, and I actually could stay off for a couple of months at a time. Eventually, I would feel tired and would end up doing it again. I would quickly sink back into the addiction. When I was using caffeine, it would only give me energy when I would first start using it again. Then I would end up using more and more and feeling less and less until I was just taking it to keep going and not feeling any rush from it at all.
I only managed to quit for good last year. I got sick and spent a week feeling miserable, but when it lifted I had no urge for caffeine. I would still drink an occasional soda, but I noticed it was giving me bad anxiety whenever I would, so I finally quit for good. I know this is not helpful with how to quit, but just thought I'd share.