Cherry Creek Psychology, Dr. Maximillian Wachtel

I was at Starbucks on Monday night, enjoying a short decaf cappuccino (that’s right, they have “short” drinks…”tall” is not their smallest option. It is only the smallest option they list on their menu–you should try ordering a short sometime. All the employees will know what you are talking about, but the customers will freak out), when a man came in and ordered a ten-shot, caramel, upside down, iced, something, blah blah blah… I stopped listening after the first few words. Ten shots. Let me repeat: ten shots.

When I was in graduate school at the University of Denver, I worked at a deli that also served espresso drinks. They had one called “The Madman,” which was nothing more than five shots of espresso. No one ever ordered it. Why would anyone want to do that to him/herself?

It is important for me to say, as a public service announcement, that ten shots of espresso at one time is not good for your health. And, it is really, really bad for your mental health. That much caffeine can cause a tremendous amount of anxiety (even after the immediate effects of the caffeine have worn off). Don’t even get me started on how it can disrupt your sleep.

I was curious as to what would happen to the man who ordered “The Double Madman” on Monday night. Would his heart explode? Would he run out of Starbucks, screaming, chased by hallucinations of demons? Would he give a spectacular one-man performance of the Pirates of Penzance? I was dying to see what would happen to him, but alas, I was too tired. I just went home and quickly fell asleep.

Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (maxwachtel@cherrycreekpsychology.com; www.cherrycreekpsychology.com  

I ran across an interesting research article the other day on caffeine intake and cognitive ability that I thought I would share. You may not know this, but caffeine can severely impact your anxiety. Since it is an “upper,” much like nicotine, amphetamines, cocaine and crystal meth (okay, it’s not as bad as crystal meth, but I’m trying to make a dramatic point here…), it causes your body to rev itself up. Your heart rate increases, your blood pressure rises, your pupils dilate, you may even start sweating. You can get jittery and start shaking, and your concentration focuses. All of these are also physiological symptoms of anxiety. If you are already anxious by nature, caffeine can push you over the edge. If you aren’t anxious, caffeine can make you feel like you are. in addition, caffeine in the afternoon can negatively affect your sleep. Even if you fall asleep right away, the caffeine in your system will keep your brain from entering into the most restful sleep patterns. You will wake up tired and in dire need of another cup of coffee.

 In 2004, three Australian researchers looked at the effects of caffeine on cognitive processes. Have you ever had a cup of coffee so that you could focus on a task at work? That is what these researchers examined. What they found was that, in light caffeine drinkers (no more than 500mg of caffeine per week–that is one 8 oz. cup of coffee per day), consuming caffeine actually helped them to focus on cognitive tasks. In heavy caffeine users (at least 400mg per day–over four cups of coffee), consuming caffeine had no effect on their ability to focus on tasks requiring them to think.

What does this finding mean? It could mean that the light caffeine drinkers received some benefit from drinking a cup of coffee while the heavy consumers merely warded off withdrawal symptoms.

So, think about your caffeine consumption. How much do you drink every day? Do you only have one cup? Is your one cup the size of a Super Big Gulp? Do you drink a lot of caffeinated soda? Are you drinking caffeine now solely to avoid withdrawal symptoms? Does it help you focus? And, what is your energy level like during the day? Are you jittery? Are you anxious? Do you feel rejuvenated in the morning? Do you feel like you are going to panic for no reason?

Depending on your answers to the above questions, you might be drinking too much caffeine. Try cutting back (quitting cold turkey can be a painful experience) and see what happens. You might find that your anxiety is relieved somewhat, and that you sleep better at night. You might actually feel more alert and energized if you consume less caffeine. You will definitely feel less anxious if you cut back. Although this is a bit extreme, I have had clients whose anxiety problems were solved solely by cutting down their caffeine consumption. All of a sudden, they felt “normal” again.

 Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (www.CherryCreekPsychology.com)