Posted by bulletproofair on January 6, 2007, at 2:05:29
In reply to Re: caffeine and depression » dessbee, posted by Sebastian on November 10, 2006, at 15:57:52
I think what people are trying to say here is that DECAF coffee is good for anyone (including diabetics) due to the antioxidants present in the coffee mixture itself.
First off, I am wondering what your caffeine sources are??? Only coffee, or do you include soda pop as well??
I was diagnosed YEARS ago with anxiety disorder. So I've been on xanax for about 4 or 5 years now. I know that's not as long as some, but its a rather long time. At one point in my life, about 3.5 years ago, I became depressed and was prescribed many different antidepressants including effexor, zoloft, and lexapro (all i can think of off the top of my head). Lexapro, 10mgs a day worked for me the best and I took it for about 6 months only. I got over the depression quickly. I'm just giving you my background so I can build some credibility with you all.
My first recommendation, DESSBEE, and all others who have caffeine addictions, is to reduce your caffeine intake starting sooner than later. if you normally have a set amount of caffeine per day, or whether that amount varies or not, take the time to grab a little notepad, or even use your cell phone and keep a memo, of how many mgs of caffeine you consume in the next few days.
Take the caffeine mgs and divide them by the amount of days you kept track of your caffeine intake. (seriously, if you want help, you gotta do this). That is gonna be your average amount of mgs of caffeine you consume a day. After this, you need to start decreasing, but just do it slowly.
The first day you decide to make the change for the better, take your average amount you calculated, and consume no more than that amount the first day of your "treatment."
You can do this for maybe 2 days. The 3rd day, I recommend you reduce the amount 160 mgs. I'm not kidding around either. I'm sure, if you are seriously addicted and need caffeine to make it through the day, you are consuming THOUSANDS of mgs of caffeine a day. 160mgs isn't gonna kill you...Day 4 next day decrease 175mgs. Consume the same mgs Day 5 as you did Day 4.
Day 6, this is where you gotta start getting your head together, and reduce your caffeine intake 250-300mgs. Once again, intake day 6 mgs on day 7 too.
Thats ONE WHOLE WEEK of treatment. Doing good, eh?
Starting on Day 8, your second week, you need to find another supplement of energy! There are all kinds of natural herbs out there that give you energy that have hardly any side effect, and have nowhere near the side effects of caffeine. I'm talking like Sobe Energy Drinks. You'll find them in gas stations for like 2.29 or so. SOBE is what you need to go for. Look for the ingredient TAURINE, along with all the B vitamins (B-12, B-6, B-etc..) and decrease caffeine intake 200 mgs.
With this energy supplement from the SOBE drink, you'll feel pretty energized, and they have HARDLY ANY CAFFEINE in them compared to a 20 oz. MT DEW. And will give you more energy due to the natural herbal extracts found in them. The SOBE drink I LOVE the most is the white can with the Superman S on it. And theres a black and gold Sobe that works wonders too.
After this, comes Day 9. If you've followed my directions up to day 9, and have discovered Sobe energy drinks, you are in luck my friend, because you can start dropping caffiene by at least 300mgs every couple of days. Just don't drink anymore than 2 of the SOBE energy drinks a day, and you'll feel AMAZINGLY upped and ready to go.
The advantage of detoxing from caffeine is that when you actually consume it, it will do something for you as opposed to maintain. Just like my former addiction to heroin (currently a recovering addict!! 3 months sober and i feel great!)...with usage comes tolerance, with tolerance comes the requirement of more and more and more until you're using to maintain, not to get "energy" in your case.
As I may have mentioned before, there are many herbal supplements that increase energy!! Take a multivitamin EVERY DAY, a B-Complex EVERY DAY, drink plenty of H20, and exercise to detox. GO to you local GNC/healthfood store and see about Taurine supplements, possibly Yohimbe (also increases sex drive like you wouldn't believe...), and Yerba Mate. For real on all those I just listed!!
Caffeine is not good for you body in the amounts I'm assuming you are consuming, its a vasoconstrictor and will permanently constrict your arteries and veins, causing high blood pressure and probably worse...seriously, it could lead to a heart attack, even if you were to quit today, 4 years down the road you could have one while taking a shower because of the toll it my have taken on your body. Just follow my plan, and you'll also lose weight!!
Caffeine gives you the jitters, inability to concentrate, have you pissing all the time, and forces you to have anxiety as well, and if you already have anxiety, you are VERY prone to becoming depressed simply because the ill-effect it has on your brain and the reduction of dopamine that is naturally produced.
Sorry about the story I wrote, but I know if you read every bit of this, you are on the path to a successful recovery. Caffeine is a drug. It is addictive. Legality doesn't mean a thing...
poster:bulletproofair
thread:670638
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20070101/msgs/719754.html