Leaving Caffeine Behind is a Mental Disorder
written by Dr. Corey Schuler
Because I’m immature, ever since Starbucks introduced their new lighter “blonde” roast and their size nomenclature violates the small, medium, large that I grew up on, my favorite thing to do is to go through the drive-through and order “Two, Tall, hot Blondes, please.” Of course, I am always corrected by the barista, “You’d like two blonde roasts in the tall size, no ice?” which I’m sure she expects to be a less chauvinistic version of my idiocy, but I laugh to myself each time nevertheless. I guess it is my version of “You said ‘butt’, hehe.” And while many of us thought that paying $5 for a tasty herbal beverage was the real mental disorder, we’ll have to wait for DSM-VI for that diagnosis because a new one is on the table.
If you are a committed coffee drinker or enjoy a few too many caffeinated sodas or drinks on the weekends and are considering modifying your habits, your morning routine and entire world as you know it now has new implications. You may be crazy.
As part of the roll-out of ICD-10, the International Classification of Disease version 10, that medical rule book that places you squarely into a box based on a series of 3-5 digits, the DSM-V (American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version five) has a quirky new diagnosis that may affect you.
It is called withdrawal from caffeine intoxication. The diagnosis is well meaning. People who consume 250 mg of caffeine can experience caffeine intoxication and can fundamentally change their brain chemistry and the withdrawal period of this drug, yes drug, is now a listed and recognized diagnostic mental disorder. How much is 250 mg?
- 12 ounces (Tall) Starbucks Coffee
- 32-56 ounces of green tea, brewed for 3 minutes
- 100 ounces of most sodas (5 – 20 ounce bottles)
- 1.5-16 ounce cans of most energy drinks
- 1.9 ounces of 5-Hour Energy (contains about 208 mg)
Caffeine withdrawal and its inclusion as a mental disorder started rumbling almost 10 years ago when an article appeared in Psychopharmacology where researchers from American University (Washington, DC a bastion of caffeine consumption) wrote about the symptoms of withdrawal including
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Decreased energy/activeness
- Decreased alertness
- Drowsiness
- Decreased contentedness
- Depressed mood
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Foggy/not clearheaded
- Flu-like symptoms
- Nausea/vomiting
- Muscle pain/stiffness
With a list of symptoms like this, I’m starting to believe this should be included in the manual. They go on to say “the incidence of headache was 50% and the incidence of clinically significant distress or functional impairment was 13%.” Those are high numbers for withdrawal from a widely available, freely distributed, and highly utilized drug.
What is interesting to me is that they noted that these symptoms of caffeine withdrawal tend to occur 12-24 hours after the high and continue for 2-9 days.
And this may come as no shock, but the higher the daily dose of caffeine, the worse the symptoms. What I found really curious is that symptoms were caused by doses as low as 100 mg. They concluded, mind you, this is 2004, “The caffeine-withdrawal syndrome has been well characterized and there is sufficient empirical evidence to warrant inclusion of caffeine withdrawal as a disorder in the DSM and revision of diagnostic criteria in the ICD.” It is 2013 and now it is included. So instead of being shocked, maybe we should be appalled at how long this inclusion took!I can attest to the validity of the new withdrawal diagnosis. As part of my support of a client who is training for a bikini competition, I gave up, with her, coffee for the month of June. On May 31st, I enjoyed a medium Americano and probably a pot of home-brew in expectation of the worst month of my life.
June 1st hit hard. The entire first week, I exhibited all of the tell-tale signs of an addict. I searched for every version of “coffee-methadone” I could find. I even [gasp] drank a soda, which has no redeeming qualities. I just about sputtered it out and certainly tried to neutralize the toxins with pH Quintessence the 40:1 concentration of alfalfa from Natural Health International as well as SoleTherapy from Original Himalayan Crystal Salt. Yes, the symptoms are transient, but they are intense. Headache and irritability were my symptoms. I’m still writing apology notes.
In regards to the inclusion of withdrawal from caffeine intoxication into the DSM-V, I have some concerns that should perhaps be addressed sooner than later. With the public discourse on gun control and the implication of mental disease being the basis of failing a background check, will reduction in the routine overconsumption of energy drinks be the cause of limited civil liberties? “Sorry guys, I’d love to go to the range with you for the afternoon of the bachelor party, but I recently stopped a two venti a day habit, so I can’t go.” I recognize, I’m in the realm of hyperbole, but the reality is that while new legislation is aimed at safety and reduction of violence, the possible unintended consequence is a further reluctance to seek mental health help. Different topic for a different day.
As for me, I’ve learned my lesson. I have been controlled by a substance for far too long. However, I enjoy coffee for its flavor, its effects, and health benefits, and will find a more healthful way to enjoy my warm beverage of choice.
There is a take home point. For those who are embarking upon a new detoxification program, a new health habit, or simply shifting your gears in relation to the food, supplements, or medications you are using, please remember that it is not always the addition of a substance that causes symptoms, but it can also be the removal of substances that causes symptoms (or improvements). The next substances you might see in an article like this might be sugar (sucrose or fructose) or any of the artificial sweeteners (sucralose aka Splenda, aspartame, acesulfame potassium aka ace-K). So, don’t just tell your healthcare provider what you started to fix your problem, but also tell them what you stopped.
Reference: Juliano LM, Griffiths RR. A critical review of caffeine withdrawal: empirical validation of symptoms and signs, incidence, severity, and associated features. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2004 Oct;176(1):1-29. Epub 2004 Sep 21.
