To be clear, caffeine has been associated with many positive side effects. Research has connected this plant-derived stimulant to improved mood, relief from headaches, and perhaps a reduced risk of other major medical issues such as strokes, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. Large studies that tracked people over time have even found that coffee drinkers were less likely to die during follow-up. Yet, some people experience negative issues as a result of their caffeine use or have difficulty coping without caffeine. Though rare, there have even been cases of caffeine overdose.
Caffeine and Caffeine Addiction
Caffeine is the most widely used drug worldwide. In the United States, coffee and soda are the top caffeine sources, whereas African and Asian countries tend to consume it in soda and tea. Caffeine is also present in many common foods (pretty much anything with chocolate), making it easy to over-consume. When caffeine turns problematic is when it disrupts your life in a negative way, yet you’re unable to stop consuming it. Or you consume it in amounts that are potentially dangerous to your health despite knowing that it may be harming you mentally or physically. Although caffeine addiction is not a formally recognized condition in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5),” a manual used by clinicians to classify and diagnose mental health concerns, the publication does mention a few caffeine-related issues, such as intoxication and withdrawal.
How Caffeine Can Negatively Affect Your Health
Caffeine has various effects on the body that are potentially harmful to your health. There have been associations of caffeine with increased blood pressure and heart rhythm changes. There is also a question of whether caffeine might be associated with increasing your risk of osteoporosis. One study found this to be the case for women in menopause with high caffeine intakes. Caffeine can also decrease your health by disturbing your sleep if it is 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 important for total health and even for immune function.
Symptoms of Caffeine Addiction
As caffeine is a stimulant, consuming too much can cause a cluster of symptoms associated with stimulation of the brain and nervous system. These symptoms include:
Dizziness Feeling shaky Headache Increased blood pressure Nervousness Racing heart, or other heartbeat abnormalities Sleep issues
This type of addiction can even overlap with work addiction, as some people use the stimulating effects of this substance to perform better at their job mentally and/or physically. As with all addictions, the pleasurable effects of caffeine can also sometimes mask other issues. Lack of energy and depression may underlie caffeine addiction. People may rely on caffeine to compensate for sleep disorders.
Symptoms of Caffeine Withdrawal
Just as taking in too much caffeine can present issues, so can suddenly removing it from your diet. This can result in caffeine 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. The symptom most often noticed by people going through caffeine withdrawal is a headache, which may range from mild to severe. Other symptoms associated with trying to cut back your caffeine habit or missing your daily “dose” are:
Feeling tired or sleepy Reduced mental alertness Slower reaction times Worsened performance on memory tasks
Occasionally, people withdrawing from caffeine also experience flu-like symptoms, such as nausea as well as mood changes.
Caffeine Addiction Can Look and Feel Like Other Disorders
The stimulating effects of caffeine can sometimes cause physical symptoms and behaviors that look and feel like—and therefore be easily confused with—other disorders. Therefore, it is important to let your doctor or mental health clinicians know how much caffeine you are consuming if you are being assessed for any condition. For example, caffeine intoxication produces symptoms that can easily be confused with anxiety disorders, such as panic attacks. Too much caffeine can also worsen symptoms of these disorders by intensifying feelings of worry, causing racing thoughts, increasing heart rate, and preventing relaxation and good-quality sleep. People who are overstimulated with caffeine can also exhibit symptoms consistent with attention deficit disorders. Conversely, caffeine withdrawal shares similar symptoms with mood disorders. Other health concerns that can be confused with caffeine intoxication include:
Manic episodes Panic disorder Generalized anxiety disorder Sleep disorders Migraine and other headaches Viral illnesses Sinus conditions Medication-induced side effects, such as akathisia, or an inability to stay still
It can also be mistaken for and worsen symptoms of withdrawal from other substances, such as amphetamines and cocaine. Stimulant drugs such as these are often cut with caffeine, increasingly the likelihood that caffeine withdrawal is involved in withdrawal from these drugs.
What to Do If You Think You Might Be Addicted to Caffeine
Addiction involves not only excessive use of caffeine but also relying on this stimulant to better cope with life in spite of any negative effects you may be experiencing. To figure out whether you might be addicted, it helps to:
Next Steps to Consider
If you feel that your responses to caffeine (or a lack of caffeine) are affecting you negatively in any way, speak to your healthcare provider. Similarly, if you have another health condition that might be impacted by caffeine use, such as heart disease, or even if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, discuss options with your doctor right away. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. The vicious cycle of addiction is often the same with caffeine as it is with other addictive substances. As the effects of the caffeine begin to wear off, you might feel a crash in energy and that you can’t keep going without another boost. Your doctor can help you find ways to move past this without giving in. Since stopping “cold turkey” can make you feel worse, it is important for most people to reduce caffeine intake gradually rather than abruptly. Your doctor can help you devise a plan that is suitable for you based on your typical caffeine consumption. This can help reduce or eliminate any withdrawal effects. If you feel you are using caffeine to cope with an emotional problem, such as depression or anxiety, also talk to your physician about options for treating these conditions. The right treatment could make a huge difference for you. Caffeine addiction often overlaps with other behavioral addictions, such as sugar addiction. So, you might find that evaluating your caffeine intake identifies other behaviors that need to be addressed as well. If you don’t feel that you are addicted to caffeine but may be consuming more than is healthy, you can choose to either reduce your caffeine intake or cut it out completely.
A Word From Verywell
Caffeine addiction is so common that we don’t even notice it most of the time. But when you are able to greatly reduce or quit caffeine to reduce the negative effects it is having on you, you may find it easier to get back in touch with your own natural energy and have the ability to relax when night falls.
