Caffeine and depression

[tangledlaces]

I have a love affair with coffee. I don't know that it helps with moods any other than I like the sense of comfort I get from the routine of it, holding a warm mug or cup in the morning, sipping it slowly as I dig into my email at work... It's almost more the ritual I crave. I have recently switched to decaff though. I have noticed on really stressful days that if i only did decaf or skipped altogether,while I might get a caffeine headache, I wouldn't end up with panic attacks but on days where I drank fully caffeinated coffee I was far far more likely to have an anxiety attack. So, decaf only. Plus I noticed getting rid of the caffeinated coffee helped with the joint inflammation I sometimes suffer.

I don't know that you should feel guilty and probably it won't have too much effect on your other meds. Seems like most of the friends I have that are on meds drink coffee too. Not that that's any kind of double blind study or anything. If anything your Dr might suggest it won't help w/depression in the long run and I have definitely had the experience of a ruined day when no coffee was available back when I drank it more regularly.

I hope you are having a good day though, caffeinated or otherwise.

[radioheart]

I have never thought about this before. I started taking antidepressants around the same time I started drinking coffee. In the past 5 years I have probably only had about 5 days without coffee. When I don't get my morning coffee and I have to go to work ALL I can think about (like, compulsive thinking) is going home and getting away from people and hiding in my warm bed and sleeping all day.

I have no problem being addicted to coffee. I don't think it's a bad thing.

[Alarmist]

Caffiene works small wonders for my depression. Especially when consumed in public. Being at a coffee house and writing or reading seems to fulfill my quota for the minimum social interaction I can have in a day while functioning.

Making coffee or not often coincides with the decision of whether or not I'll get out of bed and shower.

I may lean on it too much but of all my addictions it's by far the most manageable and unlikely to take a toll on my relationships. It's a gateway drug to focused productivity and I need all the help I can get.

[SpicyRamen]

I started drinking large amounts of coffee when I was in my late teens. In my early twenties I would sometimes drink up to 5-6 large cups a day. I'm sure it was one of the major contributing factors towards me having panic and anxiety. Nowadays I try to drink herbal tea or something instead. I'm not sure what effect it had on my depression, it any.

[Geoff]

I used to drink a lot of coffee (3-5 cups a day), and at some point I realized that it wasn't working well for me after a certain point. I think I got to be more prone to being depressed and anxious while drinking it, and I was less able to focus, plus the addiction thing was messing with me, partly with "needing" some coffee every morning, partly because it started becoming less interesting; more a feeling of, "Oh God, another cup of coffee? The hell is that for?"

So I've stopped drinking it regularly. I tend to like the more relaxed mindset, and now I drink much more water, which just feels good. I'll have coffee every once in a while, but now I tend to treat it more like pot or something: it feels nice every once in a while, burns me out over a longer term.

[kikilala]

Absolutely it helps me! I have a feeling it's kind of a shortcut to motivation and energy, especially in the morning, especially if I have to go to my office job (which I don't enjoy). But I really find it helps me a) be more social, b) be more productive. It doesn't seem to work as well in the afternoon though. So I usually just indulge in the morning. In terms of the social thing, I think a cup of coffee for me is the equivalent of 20 mins of cardio or two glasses of wine--it ups feelings of positivity and wanting to connect with others. I find I'm asking more people how they are when I'm full of 'beans'. It makes me less focused on my own problems and more focused on others. Not in a party drug type way, just in a minor way that people at the office probably notice. Sometimes I'm downright curmudgeonly, especially when tired. I have tried many times to give it up because it's not advisable for people with anxiety. However, I've come to realise that, in the scheme of things, coffee is the least of my worries!

[UncleBunny]

For me, it is something to look forward to in the morning and usually helps me get out of bed. It's also something to be wary of, because anxiety disorders and insomnia can go hand-in-hand with depression. I think moderation is key, and I wouldn't drink caffeine more than six hours after waking up. If you think it could become another addiction, I wouldn't dance with that devil, although substituting decaf has helped me at night. I suppose everyone is different.