It had become increasingly clear to me over the last few years that my anxiety disorder was being massively exacerbated by caffeine. It took so long to figure this out because it takes 6-7 hours _after_ a single coffee for it to hit, and if I'm drinking coffee the whole time, I'm always a bit anxious, rather than an obvious cause-and-effect.
In April I tapered down to one espresso a day, and then half an espresso, and then finally nothing. I'm still drinking a _lot_ of decaf, which is helpful (although check your decaf, some is still caffeinated enough to not be worth the name).
Immediate symptoms from going to half an espresso to zero espressos a day was massive dysphoria and melancholy. Around week 4 I started Wellbutrin, which made it very hard to figure out my moods reliably until it had settled down. Around week 12, I was off caffeine and feeling like myself again except minus the anxiety.
I miss it. I have had, since then, I think 4 real espressos. It gives me a reliable energy boost, and makes me happy, but then 6-7 hours later, the anxiety I lived with most of my life is back until I nap, take a benzodiazepine, or wait it out 12 hours or so.
All this to say: if you have GAD, and still drink coffee, try not drinking coffee for a month, and see where you end up. I would describe myself as no longer having GAD, although I am still titrating down the (fairly effective) SSRI I was on to manage it.
In April I tapered down to one espresso a day, and then half an espresso, and then finally nothing. I'm still drinking a _lot_ of decaf, which is helpful (although check your decaf, some is still caffeinated enough to not be worth the name).
Immediate symptoms from going to half an espresso to zero espressos a day was massive dysphoria and melancholy. Around week 4 I started Wellbutrin, which made it very hard to figure out my moods reliably until it had settled down. Around week 12, I was off caffeine and feeling like myself again except minus the anxiety.
I miss it. I have had, since then, I think 4 real espressos. It gives me a reliable energy boost, and makes me happy, but then 6-7 hours later, the anxiety I lived with most of my life is back until I nap, take a benzodiazepine, or wait it out 12 hours or so.
All this to say: if you have GAD, and still drink coffee, try not drinking coffee for a month, and see where you end up. I would describe myself as no longer having GAD, although I am still titrating down the (fairly effective) SSRI I was on to manage it.