How Can I Have Caffeine and Anxiety In My Life?

[aicherrrr]

Good Evening,

My name is Hamza, I am a former sufferer of really bad panic attacks and constant anxiety. Of course it still lives within me but I have it under control now. I'm here to learn from all of you and to share my own experiences. Looking forward to meeting you all. I just released my latest article and would like to share it with all of you.

Sincerely,
Hamza

My latest blog entry: http://anxietycage.com/how-can-i-have-caffeine-and-anxiety-in-my-life/

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Hamza,

I enjoyed reading your article. I especially liked how you only cut out caffeine early on whilst things were worse but recognised it was creating a new core belief based on avoidance of caffeine so you worked it back in using a sensible strategy that would be considered Adaptive Behaviour which we are supposed to replace avoidance with. Well done!

I can appreciate it because I have used stimulants whilst working out and after I had gone off work for a few months due to my GAD starting, I took a new one on top of a combination I was used to and the ensuing adrenaline rush was pretty awful. This built new core beliefs around exercise as well as taking supplements and eventually intensified into fearing all forms of exercise including just walking or lifting something due to how the sensations in my body changed which I had associated with panic/anxiety just as you did. This also stopped me taking the most basic things like vitamin C which is totally harmless and I would take paracetamol anymore. I even stopped taking my asthma inhalers (one of them causes the jitters, so similiar to the aggitation in anxiety) until I ended up having a mild asthma attack so had to expose myself to them again.

I have done similiar things by using the ERP method of introducing things based on them being less likely to impact me until I work up towards those that are more feared due to their stimulation. It's still work in progress for me as I'm not working out until I sort out my bad knees but I have introduced various supplements until then to test these beliefs and show them up as nothing more than fear. In truth, I don't need the stimulating supplements when I start back on the weights now, but some of the basics e.g. creatine, can have similiar impacts (I have asthma and creatine can induce breathing problems).

It was the same with food the second time around when I relapsed. The meds made me so anxious & aggitated that eating made me panic. So, I had to reintroduce foods. The stimulating properties of high protein were an issue for me so once I'm back on the weights I will be sorting that one out but prior to that I intend to just add in a little (like in a yogurt or smoothy I already have) to allow the testing.

Exercise was a big fear for me but I've worked on this with sprinting in Behavioural Experiments that my CBT therapist asked me to try and later I have been running with my dog (he gets excited and needs a few bursts of running). It all helps. Once I get back on the weights I will be confronting some of my more ingrained symptoms from early on that have less cause to bother me at the moment.

[aicherrrr]

Hi Hamza,

I enjoyed reading your article. I especially liked how you only cut out caffeine early on whilst things were worse but recognised it was creating a new core belief based on avoidance of caffeine so you worked it back in using a sensible strategy that would be considered Adaptive Behaviour which we are supposed to replace avoidance with. Well done!

I can appreciate it because I have used stimulants whilst working out and after I had gone off work for a few months due to my GAD starting, I took a new one on top of a combination I was used to and the ensuing adrenaline rush was pretty awful. This built new core beliefs around exercise as well as taking supplements and eventually intensified into fearing all forms of exercise including just walking or lifting something due to how the sensations in my body changed which I had associated with panic/anxiety just as you did. This also stopped me taking the most basic things like vitamin C which is totally harmless and I would take paracetamol anymore. I even stopped taking my asthma inhalers (one of them causes the jitters, so similiar to the aggitation in anxiety) until I ended up having a mild asthma attack so had to expose myself to them again.

I have done similiar things by using the ERP method of introducing things based on them being less likely to impact me until I work up towards those that are more feared due to their stimulation. It's still work in progress for me as I'm not working out until I sort out my bad knees but I have introduced various supplements until then to test these beliefs and show them up as nothing more than fear. In truth, I don't need the stimulating supplements when I start back on the weights now, but some of the basics e.g. creatine, can have similiar impacts (I have asthma and creatine can induce breathing problems).

It was the same with food the second time around when I relapsed. The meds made me so anxious & aggitated that eating made me panic. So, I had to reintroduce foods. The stimulating properties of high protein were an issue for me so once I'm back on the weights I will be sorting that one out but prior to that I intend to just add in a little (like in a yogurt or smoothy I already have) to allow the testing.

Exercise was a big fear for me but I've worked on this with sprinting in Behavioural Experiments that my CBT therapist asked me to try and later I have been running with my dog (he gets excited and needs a few bursts of running). It all helps. Once I get back on the weights I will be confronting some of my more ingrained symptoms from early on that have less cause to bother me at the moment.


Good Evening, Hi Terry I hope you are doing great! Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I am happy that we have come to similar conclusions and have figured out a way to get ourselves back into the game. Living with fear is something that none of us should have to live with. I look forward to reading your future posts of you having great exercise sessions. Keep moving forward I know you will get there soon! Also, please subscribe to my list so we can keep in touch more often. www.primallogic.com

Take care,
Hamza

[blue moon]

:winks:
Spam:roflmao:
I love my coffee :D It is not coffee that makes me anxious.It is the horrid things you see every day on the idiot box.(the news):mad: