Key Takeaways
- Caffeine addiction can cause withdrawal symptoms like tiredness, headaches, and irritability.
- To reduce caffeine addiction, gradually cut back on your intake instead of quitting abruptly.
- Drinking caffeine too late in the day can disturb your sleep and harm your health.
Caffeine addiction is the excessive and harmful use of caffeine over a period of time, such that it has negative effects on your health, social interactions, or other areas of your life.
Coffee and other caffeinated products can create a physical dependence, leading to chemical changes in the brain. Daily consumption can quickly lead to a caffeine addiction, characterized by cravings and withdrawal symptoms if intake is reduced or ceased.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 80% of Americans consume caffeine daily.
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 found that coffee drinkers were less likely to die during follow-up.
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. Dopamine causes people to feel good, creating a reward cycle that motivates them to keep consuming it and experiencing that same level of reinforcement.
It also causes physiological dependence, which means that when you reduce or stop your caffeine intake, you will likely experience withdrawal symptoms like tiredness, headaches, and irritability.
When you have a caffeine addiction, it means that your caffeine use negatively disrupts your life, 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 harm you mentally or physically.
Caffeine is the most widely used drug worldwide. Coffee and soda are the top caffeine sources in the United States, whereas African and Asian countries consume them in soda and tea. Caffeine is also present in many common foods (almost anything with chocolate), making it easy to over-consume.
While caffeinated products like coffee, soda, and energy drinks are less reinforcing than other addictive substances, that does not mean they don’t have potential adverse health effects.
Symptoms of Caffeine Addiction
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 mentions some caffeine-related issues, such as intoxication and withdrawal.
Caffeine intoxication, caffeine withdrawal, caffeine-induced anxiety disorder, and caffeine-induced sleep disorder are all recognized in the “DSM-5,” and caffeine use disorder has been identified as requiring further study.
As caffeine is a stimulant, consuming too much can cause a cluster of symptoms associated with brain and nervous system stimulation. 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.
How Caffeine Can Negatively Affect Your Health
Caffeine has various effects on the body that are potentially harmful to your health. 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.
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. Increased anxiety can occur, particularly in those sensitive to caffeine’s effects or who have a previously existing anxiety disorder.
Some research has shown that caffeine may be linked to symptoms of psychosis and mania in people who have psychotic disorders or mood conditions.
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:
Occasionally, people withdrawing from caffeine also experience flu-like symptoms, such as nausea as well as mood changes.
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.
7 Quick Tips to Help with Caffeine Withdrawal
Caffeine Addiction and Other Conditions
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.
Anxiety Disorders
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.
Other Conditions
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:
Substance Use
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, increasing the likelihood that caffeine withdrawal is involved in withdrawal from these drugs.
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?
If you suspect that you are addicted to caffeine, such as if you have a coffee addiction, it is essential to take stock of your situation. Assessing your intake, the impact, and how you feel can help you better determine if you need to cut back.
Addiction involves excessive use of caffeine and relying on this stimulant to better cope with life despite any adverse effects you may be experiencing. To figure out whether you might be addicted, it helps to:
Assess Your Intake
Calculate how much caffeine you are consuming on a typical day. Remember that gourmet espresso, lattes, and cappuccino typically contain more caffeine than regular drip or instant coffee, soda, and other common caffeine-containing foods and drinks. Therefore, this should be accounted for when determining your normal intake.
Pay Attention to How You Feel
Make a note of any side effects you experience after consuming caffeine. Also, note any adverse effects you feel if you lower your normal intake or skip caffeine entirely. Pay attention to both mental and physical effects for a more complete picture of how you are impacted by its use.
Consider How Caffeine Affects Your Life
Think about your caffeine habit and how it affects your life as a whole. Do your relationships suffer if you don’t get your morning coffee, for instance? Could your caffeine intake be contributing to your work anxiety?
Coping With a Caffeine Addiction
Caffeine addiction is so common that we don’t even notice it most of the time. But when you can greatly reduce or quit caffeine to reduce the adverse effects it is having on you, you may find it easier to get back in touch with your own natural energy and can relax when night falls.
If you consume more caffeine than is healthy, you can reduce your caffeine intake or cut it out completely.
If your responses to caffeine (or a lack of caffeine) affect you negatively, 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 immediately.
Make a Plan to Cut Back or Quit
The vicious cycle of addiction is often the same with caffeine as 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 move past this without giving in.
Gradually Lower Your Caffeine Intake
Since stopping “cold turkey” can make you feel worse, most people need to reduce caffeine intake gradually rather than abruptly. Your doctor can help you devise a suitable plan based on your typical caffeine consumption. This can help reduce or eliminate any withdrawal effects.
How to Taper Your Caffeine Dose
Instead of cutting your caffeine intake abruptly, try reducing your regular intake by about 10% every two weeks. One way to do this is to reduce the strength of your caffeinated drinks by diluting them with a decaffeinated version.
Find Ways to Manage Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms such as headache and fatigue may leave you wanting to reach for a cup of coffee or a can of soda, so finding ways to cope with these symptoms is essential. Consider using over-the-counter pain medications like Tylenol or ibuprofen to relieve headache symptoms. Other strategies that can help include:
- Getting enough sleep
- Drinking plenty of water
- Finding ways to stay busy
- Engaging in physical exercise to boost energy levels
Seek Help for Mental Health Symptoms
If you feel you are using caffeine to cope with an emotional problem, such as depression or anxiety, talk to your physician about treatment options. 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 also identifies other behaviors that need to be addressed.
