The positive mood effects of coffee Conventional wisdom suggests that caffeine-containing drinks are considered a “no-no” when it comes to anxiety. There’s good reason for this and many people with anxiety should avoid coffee. But, some of you reading this may benefit from coffee. Let’s review the information about coffee in terms of anxiety and mood to see what makes the most sense.
Interestingly, it turns out there was a reason for that: Caffeine helps the brain release dopamine into the prefrontal cortex, a brain area important for mood regulation. Caffeine may also help the storage of dopamine in the amygdala, another part of the brain important for anxiety regulation.
Dopamine is typically low in people with depression as well as social anxiety (a type of situational anxiety). If you experience either of these, coffee every day, or before the situation of stress/panic, may make good sense for you. Of course, if you try coffee and find that it makes you feel worse and more panicky and anxious and/or you stop sleeping, then it is not the right beverage for your mood and situation.
Remember — Too Much Caffeine Is Still Too Much
Please note though, there is a threshold to coffee’s benefit — even for those for whom it is helpful. A study from Finland found that although the risk for suicide decreased progressively for those consuming up to seven cups of coffee per day (which is already too much for most anxious people), the risk started increasing when consumption went over eight cups a day. Also noteworthy in this study is that decaffeinated coffee, caffeinated tea, and chocolate did not have positive effects.
So, we need to remember that even when used for social anxiety and depression, long-term coffee use will still contribute to “burnout” in people who are already depleted and deficient. Caffeine is a mood-boosting substance, but too much, even for people who can tolerate it, will turn things very bad mood-wise.
