Caffeine addiction: symptoms, causes and recovery plan

Caffeine addiction is one of those addictions that is not questioned too much socially; many think that dependence and frequent consumption cannot harm anyone too much. On the other hand, how many times have you heard expressions like: “I need a coffee to face the day”, “if I don’t drink coffee I get a headache” or “I’m not a person until I drink my coffee”?

In Spain it is estimated that 80% of the adult population has an average caffeine consumption of between 200-300 mg per person per day (2-3 cups of coffee) (Lozano et al., 2007). Although taking it in low doses is safe, clinical research has found that some people become dependent on it and have serious difficulties reducing their consumption.

Symptoms of caffeine addiction

In caffeine addiction we can find a pattern of dependency, both physical and mental, similar to other addictions. In general, every addiction presents a series of common symptoms that lead to the following:

Dependence on the reinforcing consequences of addiction. Worry, excessive thoughts and desire to consume. Temporary satiety or tolerance. Loss of control. Difficulty in stopping or avoiding consumption, despite the existence of its negative consequences.

According to the DSM-5, caffeine use disorder generates clinically significant impairment or discomfort that manifests itself mainly in these three symptoms:

A persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to reduce or control caffeine consumption.Continued caffeine consumption despite knowing that you have a physical or psychological problem that has probably been caused by excessive coffee intake.Abstinence syndrome characteristic of caffeine or the use of caffeine to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Caffeine withdrawal occurs when caffeine consumption is stopped or significantly reduced. The symptoms are the following:

Headache (headache).Fatigue or drowsiness.Dysphoria, discouragement or irritability.Difficulties concentrating.Flu symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, muscle pain/stiffness.

This condition, in turn, gives rise to significant clinical discomfort and deterioration in social, work and other areas important for the person’s daily functioning.

Causes of caffeine addiction

Caffeine acts as an antagonist of adenosine receptors, producing a variety of effects opposite to those of this neurotransmitter, including behavioral stimulating effects. Research has shown that caffeine stimulates dopamine activity by eliminating the modulatory effects of adenosine on dopaminergic receptors.

One study found that the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens may have to do, as in many other addictions, with caffeine addiction. The intake of drugs or addictive substances produces an increase in the activity of the mesocrticolimbic dopaminergic system. When consumption is chronic, neuroadaptive changes occur that promote the modification of the structures of said system.

The subjective effects caused by caffeine, such as well-being, increased energy, alertness and sociability, can maintain addictive behaviors towards it. Pleasant sensations are like a “magnet” that attracts and seduces us.

The very fact of feeling good with caffeine becomes a compelling reason to continually return to it. These sensations operate as a kind of positive reinforcement that increases the probability that consumption will be repeated.

These reinforcements influence the frequency of appearance of addictive behavior. The more pleasures they generate and the more sensations of well-being they promote, the more the probability of repeat consumption will increase. Because caffeine stimulates the activation of dopamine, pleasure and other pleasant sensations will be a common factor in each intake, which will make the person more hooked on caffeine.

Recovery plan

One treatment that can be used for caffeine addiction is cognitive behavioral therapy. It integrates principles from behavioral theory, social learning theory and cognitive theory. The typical treatment plan for this intervention is develop strategies aimed at increasing the person’s self-control.

Relapse prevention therapy is also very useful for the treatment of addictive behaviors. It helps addicted people to identify the situations in which they are most likely to use. Likewise, they are taught to find strategies that help them avoid these risky situations and that allow them to develop solutions to the way they behave and feel in relation to the consumption of the substance (caffeine) with which they have a problem.

There are other intervention models that serve to treat caffeine addiction, one of them is the transtheoretical model of change by Prochaska and DiClemente. In this model it is considered that therapeutic efforts should be directed at:

Identify the moment in which the person decides to make changes that contribute to progress in their recovery. Describe how the changes in the previous point are made. Know what the addict requires to overcome their consumption problems.

The model attempts to cover the entire process of change, from when the person begins to suspect that they have a problem until it ceases to exist. This integrates stages (what the sequence of change is like), processes (what are the processes underlying the change) and levels of change (at what levels does the addictive behavior affect and where the intervention should be directed).

The importance of this model in the clinic is its emphasis on the temporal dimension of change. The central thing is not to know what the appropriate intervention is, but whether it is appropriate to the moment (stage) in which the person is. It also focuses on the cognitive and behavioral processes that underpin the change processes.

To end, Caffeine addiction can be avoided if this substance is consumed in low or moderate doses. She is not bad in herself, in fact, she has benefits for our health. You just have to be responsible and cautious with the amount you ingest. Do you know how much caffeine you consume per day? How many cups of coffee do you drink a day?

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