Quitting Coffee is Now a "Mental Health Disorder" (No Wonder it Makes Us Feel Bonkers)

by Lexi Petronis



photo by Romulo Yanes
photo by Romulo Yanes

Have you ever tried to quit caffeine? Oh, wow--when I did, I spent half of a day feeling weirdly jittery, nursing one of the worst headaches I've ever known, and dreaming of a very dark room.

Yep, if you've ever gone through it, you know that caffeine withdrawal is a real thing. And now, American Psychiatric Association has included it in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It has also termed another coffee-related affliction as a "mental health disorder": coffee intoxication.

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Experts say that you'll officially be diagnosed if you suffer from three of the five symptoms: headache, fatigue or drowsiness, depressed mood or irritability, concentration difficulty, and flu-like symptoms such as nausea within 24 hours of quitting. So to avoid dealing with any of those nasty side effects, docs suggest drinking no more than 100mg of caffeine a day--about one coffee drink.

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Coffee intoxication usually comes about when you drink more than 250mg of caffeine. Symptoms include restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, flushed face, peeing too much, and muscle twitching. Yep--sounds about right! But a mental health disorder? Hmm...

Have you ever gone through caffeine withdrawal? How many cups of coffee do you have a day? What do you think of this "mental health disorder" situation?

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