Hey there and Happy Easter Sunday! I am writing this while shamelessly drinking a cup of coffee right now. Yes, and I have often joked on Twitter about being addicted to the stuff or what I like to call ‘Heaven in a cup.” But this week I learned that my favorite beverage could be doing more harm than good. Nooooooo!!!!!

I have mentioned in a previous post that like so many others, I do suffer from anxiety and depression. But recently I learned that coffee can actually make anxiety symptoms worse, especially if you consume more than three cups on a daily basis. Although three cups are my limit, I do feel that coffee has had an effect on me personally and not always in a good way.

I initially only drank one cup every day but somehow that changed after I decided to become a published author. I also believe that my job which is a morning job has also caused me to drink more coffee just to stay awake. I am not a morning person and I have chronic insomnia. These things can play a big part in developing an addiction to coffee. Don’t even get me started on how great it tastes and smells and how good coffee shops can make it look. Not helping to avoid the temptation at all lol.

I don’t believe that coffee has increased my depression but it does give my personality a boost whenever I’m upset about something. But, like most drugs; the effects of the coffee only seem to last for a little while. After it wears off, I become sleepy again and moody and want more coffee. Caffeine is a powerful stimulant and the more you drink coffee, the more dependent you will become.

My anxiety is not an everyday occurrence and it usually happens when I am faced with a personal problem that has yet to be solved and dealt with. My mind races and I have a hard time staying focused.  When I drink the coffee, these emotions are enhanced and for a long time, I had no idea that this was happening. Sometimes something you love can cause something you hate. Coffee has always been my go-to drink whenever I needed to become more productive. It would be difficult to give it up entirely. But do I really have to?

The effects of caffeine can cause agitation, sleep deprivation, dizziness, restlessness, changes in mood, and these are just some of the highlights. Personally, I think coffee is a lot safer than drinking energy drinks which can cause heart palpitations, weight gain, increased anxiety, sleep deprivation, migraines, and digestive problems. So, if I have to choose between the two, I would definitely choose coffee.

I have been wrestling with the decision to cut back on coffee and it’s hard. I’ve been through some traumatic things recently and because of it, my coffee intake may have increased a little. So yeah it would be hard to cut back, but it’s not impossible. But it will take time. We writers really enjoy coffee and we brag about it a lot on social media because writing and coffee go hand in hand, but do we ever stop to think about what all of that caffeine is really doing to us? Is our favorite drink really helping us to write our best work? In some cases, it is. But too much of a good thing is never a good idea. Many of us will probably never stop drinking coffee but we may want to examine the real reasons why we feel we need it. Maybe even learn how to counteract the effects of the coffee that it has on our bodies and our minds.

Until next time…