When caffeine overlaps with these disorders, the result can be trouble. Runaway Anxiety Technically, caffeine works by blocking the depressant function of a chemical called adenosine, says Griffiths. For most of us, the result is a pleasurable sense of energy and focus. Caffeine enhances alertness, concentration, and memory. Drink more coffee than you're accustomed to, however, and that same stimulant can cause the jitters.
Susceptible people experience caffeine's effects as signs of impending doom.
Once that happens, anxiety can take on a life of its own. While many give up coffee, others give up whatever they were doing when struck by caffeine's disturbing side effects. Someone who downs coffee at breakfast and then hops on the freeway to work, for example, may attribute feelings of panic to rush-hour traffic rather than to caffeine. To help people with panic and related anxiety disorders, psychologists typically ask patients to taper their caffeine use while they learn how to respond appropriately to their own physiological reactions. At the Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders in Albany, N.Y., psychologist John Forsyth, PhD, uses an approach known as cognitive-behavioral therapy.