Caffeine and mood?

[Leegh]

I've had a lot of problems with a narcissistic sister, and she is a major pain in the a__. Do you folks think if I decreased or eliminated my caffeine intake (coffee, tea, etc.) that it would help control my negative feelings towards her? She is very hard to get along with and I am worried it may affect my health. I cannot stay away from her completely because there are matters relating to our parents, and it is necessary that I have contact with her. How much does caffeine effect mood, as I've heard it can stimulate anxiety, etc.? Any caffeine withdrawal suggestions? Thanks for any tips!

[iris219]

Caffeine makes me happy. I've tried to stop drinking coffee and I wasn't tired--I was very grumpy. It definitely has a positive effect on my mood.

[carhill]

OP, if you're going to experiment, pick a period when you will be out of contact with the person and give yourself a week to ten days to clear any withdrawal issues. The main negatives I've noted are headaches and sluggishness in the morning but they appear transitory. NSAID's helped with the headache part. I tried fresh fruit for fructose and that seemed to perk me up. YMMV.

 

If your sister is a 'trigger', then you should be able to gather good experience from caffeinated state to non-. If you note little/no change, then it's not the caffeine, it's your sister.

[tbf]

There's nothing detrimental about a daily moderate level of caffeine intake unless you have preexisting health issues.

 

Noted below are the approximate amounts of caffeine in coffee and tea. The weaker the beverage, the less caffeine.

 

Coffee, 8oz drip 104-192 mg

Tea, 8oz brewed 20-90

[Treasa]

I don't drink a ton of caffeine, but if I had to give it up, I'd ritually slaughter everyone around me.