Biology and psychology: The effects of caffeine

[Jonn]

Time to do some research about caffeine.

Most people start drinking caffeine because it makes them feel more alert and improves their mood. Many studies suggest that caffeine actually improves cognitive task performance (memory, attention span, etc.) in the short-term. Unfortunately, these studies fail to consider the participants’ caffeine habits. New research from Johns Hopkins Medical School shows that performance increases due to caffeine intake are the result of caffeine drinkers experiencing a short-term reversal of caffeine withdrawal.

In essence, coming off caffeine reduces your cognitive performance and has a negative impact on your mood. The only way to get back to normal is to drink caffeine, and when you do drink it, you feel like it’s taking you to new heights. In reality, the caffeine is just taking your performance back to normal for a short period.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/travis...er-of-emotional-intelligence/?sh=48e28839118c

 

[Outdated]

Caffeine never had much of an effect on me, although I'm not exactly normal. I can drink a nice hot cup of coffee before going to bed on a cold night and I sleep like a baby. Drinking it doesn't make me feel any more awake or alert, smelling the fresh roasted beans however does. That's what's so important to me with that first cup of coffee in the morning, the smell.

 

[tree]

I don't use caffeine.
I am allergic to it.
Gives me hives.

Even so-called decaffeinated coffee
has too much caffeine in it for me.

 

[Jonn]

From the same source:

Drinking caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline is the source of the “fight or flight” response, a survival mechanism that forces you to stand up and fight or run for the hills when faced with a threat. The fight-or-flight mechanism sidesteps rational thinking in favor of a faster response. This is great when a bear is chasing you, but not so great when you’re responding to a curt email. When caffeine puts your brain and body into this hyper-aroused state, your emotions overrun your behavior.

This is self-evident to me due to personal experience.
I have talked a lot about the effect of caffeine over the years.

Being high on caffeine severs the reasoning process to a great degree.
It increases impulsiveness and reduces the frustration threshold.
Using the Truine Theory allows the more primitive parts of the brain to dominate.

 

[Stuttermabolur]

I don't drink coffee. I tried it once or twice a few years ago and the taste was disgusting (I really dislike bitterness), so I never saw the point. I'm pretty sure I have an addictive personality and my impulse control isn't good, so I don't start on addictive things. I want to be in control of my mind to the furthest extent possible.

 

[Jonn]

Caffeine never had much of an effect on me, although I'm not exactly normal. I can drink a nice hot cup of coffee before going to bed on a cold night and I sleep like a baby. Drinking it doesn't make me feel any more awake or alert, smelling the fresh roasted beans however does. That's what's so important to me with that first cup of coffee in the morning, the smell.

There are good AND bad things to being hypersensitive to caffeine.
If I need to do some physical work that day, I generally take some "real" coffee (as opposed to decaf) to give me energy.

The bad is that caffeine accentuates the entire emotional spectrum, including low frustration levels.
I try not to take coffee when I have to engage with ppl.

And I too enjoy the smell of coffee, especially when I remove the foil of a new jar.

 

[Jonn]

I don't use caffeine.
I am allergic to it.
Gives me hives.

Even so-called decaffeinated coffee
has too much caffeine in it for me.

Caffeine is high in histamine.
I have a problem with "histamine poisoning".
I have discussed this on another thread a while ago.

I don't get hives from caffeine, but it causes a major problem with water retention that will ruin a person's health if the histamine poisoning isn't addressed.
It also causes flaking skin problems with me.

Yes, decaf actually still has caffeine, but just at a much-reduced level.

 

[Jonn]

I don't drink coffee. I tried it once or twice a few years ago and the taste was disgusting (I really dislike bitterness), so I never saw the point. I'm pretty sure I have an addictive personality and my impulse control isn't good, so I don't start on addictive things. I want to be in control of my mind to the furthest extent possible.

Caffeine is actually a "psychotropic".

Caffeine is a psychoactive (mind-altering) drug that affects how we think and feel. It is a stimulant that speeds up our breathing, heart rate, thoughts and actions. Caffeine is found in the seeds, leaves and fruit of certain shrubs, including coffee and tea plants. It can also be manufactured in a laboratory.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Caf...kgEDMC4xmAEAoAEByAEIwAEB&sclient=gws-wiz-serp
Weed and other drugs are "psychotropic" also.

A psychotropic describes any drug that affects behavior, mood, thoughts, or perception. It’s an umbrella term for a lot of different drugs, including prescription drugs and commonly misused drugs.

https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-a-psychotropic-drug

 

[Xinyta]

I am not unfamiliar with caffeine. Not just with coffee. I used to be insanely addicted to soda. And was during a time in my life when I really was not doing well internally. Soda was a coping drink for me. Looking back on it, it was most definitely harming me more than helping me. Mentality as well as bodily.

Reading this thread about caffeine, plus stuff I've found on my own about how it can make stress and anxiety worse. It's making me glad I've dropped soda and coffee. I still on rare occasions drink decaf coffee, but I don't really shove that kinda stuff in my body anymore.

 

[Jonn]

Soda was a coping drink for me.

I am still hooked on Pepsi Max, but that is an upgrade from Pepsi with sugar.
I thought it was primarily the sugar I was addicted to, but it seems the caffeine is as addictive for me.
I tried Pesi Light (no sugar and no caffeine), but there was no comparison in terms of appeal.

Reading this thread about caffeine, plus stuff I've found on my own about how it can make stress and anxiety worse. It's making me glad I've dropped soda and coffee. I still on rare occasions drink decaf coffee, but I don't really shove that kinda stuff in my body anymore.

Caffeine puts me on edge, makes me more creative, makes me less tolerant, and gives me greater physical energy.
It is a "mixed bag of fruit". lol

Overall, I need to reduce my caffeine intake.
As "they" say: "Everything in moderation.

 

[Forest Cat]

I like the smell of it and I did drink coffee 20 years ago. But it makes me so scatterbrained and hyper. I might as well do meth. So I don't drink it now.

 

[Wolfnox]

Dulls the mind for me. Helps with anxiety if used lightly. Prolonged use causes chemical imbalances in the body. Which affects mood. Also affects muscles during workout from personal experience.
I mainly drink tea.

 

[Metalhead]

I am in a bad mood if I do not have my cup of black coffee first thing in the morning. I am addicted to caffeine, obviously.

 

[Dagan]

I only started drinking it about ten years ago to try and help with migraines, and now being a daily drinker, I have maybe two migraines a year. It also has the weird effect of actually calming my mind down, which is so weird to me. At night before bed, I have a little, put on a movie in bed and I am out cold in a matter of minutes. It isn't a rarity, either, apparently, as I definitely talked to doctors about it.

 

[Forest Cat]

And I too enjoy the smell of coffee, especially when I remove the foil of a new jar.

It does smell really good, walking into the kitchen in the morning and that warm, friendly coffee smell is filling the room, that's nice.

 

[vergil96]

I don't see much of an effect of caffeine on me, I need strong coffee for it.

 

[Magna]

Stimulant medications are said to work for people with ADHD. Same with caffeine. Can we surmise from the studies cited that ADHD stimulant meds cause the same situation (simply bringing a person back to "normal" rather than actually helping or enhancing focus, etc)? I don't see how one could be true for caffeine, a stimulant and not for ADHD stimulant meds....other stimulants.

 

[Jonn]

It also has the weird effect of actually calming my mind down, which is so weird to me. At night before bed, I have a little, put on a movie in bed and I am out cold in a matter of minutes. It isn't a rarity, either, apparently, as I definitely talked to doctors about it.

I find this surprising.
Do you have adha? I have heard caffeine calms some ppl who have it.

Personally speaking, caffeine can keep me awake all night.

 

[Jonn]

I am in a bad mood if I do not have my cup of black coffee first thing in the morning. I am addicted to caffeine, obviously.

Caffeine can make me euphoric, creative and energised.
It can also dredge up bad memories, lower my frustration threshold, and cause nightmares.
"Curious".

 

[Jonn]

Stimulant medications are said to work for people with ADHD. Same with caffeine.

I have heard the same.