Caffeine helps your focus and mood, but when the side effects outweigh the benefits, withdrawal symptoms make quitting hard. Learn what to do about it.
Created by Deane Alban | Reviewed by Patrick Alban, DC
Caffeine is the most widely consumed mood-altering substance on the planet. (1)
Billions of people start the day with a caffeinated drink — coffee, tea, yerba mate, energy drinks, or soda — depending on their age, custom and location.
You probably like the energy, drive, and focus that caffeine gives you.
You may savor the taste, the aroma, and the ritual of consuming your favorite caffeinated beverage.
But not everyone reacts the same to this very common stimulant.
Some people find that caffeine becomes something they need, rather than something they enjoy.
It becomes an addiction.
And like all addictions, quitting is tough and caffeine withdrawal has some unpleasant side effects.
Caffeine Addiction & Withdrawal: Recognized Psychiatric Disorders
Caffeine is so ubiquitous that it’s easy to forget it’s a psychoactive drug.
By definition, this means that caffeine changes brain function, mood, and behavior.
Caffeine readily enters the brain where it alters the activity of several neurotransmitters. (2)
It constricts blood vessels reducing blood flow to the brain.
It also changes the electrical activity of the brain, causing an increase in beta brain waves which are linked to a state of arousal. (3, 4)
But is caffeine truly addictive?
To be considered addictive, a substance must meet certain criteria. (5)
Let’s see how caffeine stacks up against the three hallmarks of addiction: (6)
Dependence
You crave caffeine, spend a good deal of money on it, and arrange your day to acquire it.
How many trips to Starbucks have you made this week?
Tolerance
You need to keep consuming more caffeine to get the same effect.
Eventually you need it just to function normally.
Do you feel like you need caffeine to face the day?
Withdrawal
It’s hard to quit and you experience withdrawal symptoms if your caffeine consumption is interrupted.
Have you ever skipped your “normal dose” of caffeine? Or tried to quit? How’d that go?
Caffeine certainly seems to fit the bill as addictive.
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