Coffee Can Rewire Your Brain for Addiction
In the last few years, society has changed how they view addiction, including how coffee and addiction come into play. Most people now see addiction as a disease rather than a choice. This is true. Addiction is psychological and offers a quick route to the brain’s reward system.
Addiction is the response to the brain’s craving for reward by using substances. There are specific reasons why some people experiment with drugs. These reasons can include peer pressure, reducing anxiety, improving athletic ability, and avoiding feelings of depression. Now, there have been some new developments in addiction, considering how coffee and addiction go hand in hand. For more information, you can visit alcohol rehab near Palo Alto.
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Is Caffeine Addictive?
Caffeine and addiction can go together and become a caffeine addiction. Excessive caffeine use becomes harmful to the user. Addiction has negative effects on your health, social interaction, and other areas of your life. The trouble with caffeine and addiction is that caffeine is a widely accepted drug. Most people do not see the harm in caffeine and use it as a daily stimulant.
Although caffeine users enjoy the effects of caffeine, caffeine and addiction can be very dangerous. Becoming more than simply a boost in the morning, caffeine can create problems such as disrupted sleep, irritability, and anxiety. Many people drink coffee often to increase energy, which then leaves them unable to sleep at night. For support and guidance in dealing with such addiction issues, consider reaching out to alcohol rehab near Riverside.
Significant problems related to caffeine use include difficulty coping without caffeine and having negative side effects. Additionally, caffeine overdose is possible. If you or someone you know is struggling with caffeine addiction and needs help, consider seeking treatment at an alcohol rehab center near Los Angeles.
Symptoms of Caffeine Addiction
Caffeine is a stimulant drug. Caffeine and addiction can cause extreme symptoms due to the stimulation of the brain and nervous system. Typically those who use caffeine enjoy the increased energy and alertness that caffeine gives them.
The unpleasant side-effects of caffeine and addiction include:
- Restlessness
- Nervousness
- Over-excitement
- Difficulty sleeping including insomnia
- Agitation
- Muscle twitches
- The rambling flow of thoughts
- Rambling speech
- Flushed face
- Increased heart rate
- Upset stomach
- Increased urination
- Diarrhea
Lack of energy, lack of motivation, and depression can make a caffeine addiction increasingly dangerous. It can affect work, life, and everything in between.
Symptoms of Caffeine Withdrawal
The withdrawal symptoms from Lortab addiction differ significantly from those experienced during caffeine withdrawal. Lortab, an opioid medication, can lead to more intense and challenging withdrawal symptoms. While the most common symptom of caffeine withdrawal is a severe headache, Lortab withdrawal can manifest in more severe forms. These symptoms can emerge shortly after discontinuing Lortab use and may include intense cravings, anxiety, insomnia, and physical symptoms like nausea, muscle aches, and flu-like symptoms. Those with a severe Lortab addiction might also experience more acute withdrawal effects, such as severe muscle pain, vomiting, and intense discomfort, which are typically more debilitating than those associated with caffeine withdrawal.
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Effects of Coffee and Addiction on the Brain
Although coffee seems very non-threatening, maybe the most non-threatening of all drugs, take a second look. If coffee is given to your brain each morning – especially since teen years – your brain will get used to it.
Coffee is motivational and helpful for the day ahead. If you had a hard night and could not sleep, coffee may give you that boost in the morning. The trouble is that coffee is not the only drink with caffeine, and some energy drinks or energy pills contain huge doses. After using coffee every day for a long time, your brain will crave it. At this point, you are officially a coffee-addicted person.
How Drugs Come Into Play
Drug addiction works similarly to coffee addiction. When there is a lack of a drug in the body, withdrawal symptoms can occur.
Coffee and Addiction With Mental Illness
Coffee use masks itself as other disorders. It can cause physical symptoms and behaviors that may look like mental illness. Additionally, it can exacerbate true mental illnesses. Caffeine and addiction can produce symptoms that seem like an anxiety disorder. It can create panic attacks or general anxiety throughout the day.
Using too much caffeine is also known to worsen symptoms of an already apparent anxiety disorder. Caffeine can intensify feelings of worry, increase racing thoughts, and make it difficult to sleep. Another aspect is that caffeine can help to calm some characteristics of anxiety. Despite this, the crash will promote more anxiety than you had in the first place.
Mental Illnesses That Caffeine Intoxication Can Be Confused With
- Manic episodes
- Panic attacks
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Sleep disorders
- Migraines
- Viral illnesses
- Sinus conditions
- Intoxication from amphetamines, cocaine, sedatives, or hypnotics
Caffeine can also induce disorders such as anxiety disorder and sleep disorder.
Coffee and Addiction Treatment
There are many different options for you or a loved one to recover from an addiction to drug abuse or alcoholism. The only trouble is that the addicted person must choose to go forward with the recovery process. To do this, you will need to keep an open mind. Resisting support from a coffee and addiction rehab center will make matters impossible.
Fear holds many people back from getting help. These fears might include:
- There is no stopping the addiction
- The addiction has gone too far
- Being judged
- The stigma associated with rehab
The early stages of treatment may involve therapy. Therapy will start with a bit of talking and nudging towards improvement. As treatment progresses, the addiction counselor will typically look into deeper reasons why coffee and addiction began in the first place.
Often quitting seems like the best option during treatment, as there can be hard memories to deal with. You will need a support system for encouragement while in treatment. The entire process of recovery is about healing the body, as well as the mind and soul. Addiction is not a choice but a disease that needs to be understood.
If You Suffer From a Coffee and Addiction Problem
If you believe you are suffering from a coffee and addiction problem, you have a few options:
- Assess your intake: Calculate how much caffeine you consume. You will need to consider all coffee, soda, energy drinks, energy pills, and more.
- Pay attention to your symptoms: Realize and see how you feel throughout the day. Do you have side effects from caffeine? What withdrawal symptoms do you have? Be sure to notice what happens when you miss one dose of caffeine, especially in the morning.
- Consider the effects on your life: Coffee and addiction are serious. If you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms, know this opens you up for addiction to other substances. If you feel fearful about not having caffeine to get through the day, you may have a coffee and addiction problem.
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Get Help Today
If you believe you are struggling with a coffee and addiction problem, it is never too late to get help. Whether your coffee and addiction problem stems from work-related stressors or another substance, at Resurgence Behavioral Health, we are here to help.
Treatment should be a place where you feel comfortable. There is no stigma involved at our center, and we even offer free insurance verification for treatment. This service allows you to focus on the process and move on with your life after coffee and addiction problems. Contact us today.
