If you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks, coffee consumption would be one of the first questions I ask my clients. Some people might be

more sensitive than others to caffeine and if you already have a system that is overstimulated by stress or anxiety you don’t need anything that will  overstimulate of your nervous system even more.

What does coffee do to your body?

Blocks Relaxation: Caffeine attaches to adenosine receptors in the brain, stopping adenosine (a chemical that naturally calms the body and promotes sleep) from doing its job.

Activates “Fight-or-Flight”: It stimulates the central nervous system and triggers the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.

Mimics Physical Symptoms: This chemical surge increases your heart rate, raises blood pressure, and causes restlessness, tremors, or rapid breathing, which closely mirror the physical feelings of an anxiety attack.

What can you do? Switch to decaf or reduce consumption to half and see how you feel! I am also a coffee lover but I consume mostly decaf these days. I also drink a mushroom coffee that tastes very similar to coffee, this way I don’t feel like I am missing out on one of my favorite pleasures.