I still drink some caffeine. . .

The only thing I still take is some caffeine (a cup of coffee) when I'm sluggish, (but sometimes I go overboard and make my anxiety kick in) and soda. Soda with aspartame. I am addicted to soda.
I drink mostly decaf coffee. and decaf diet soda.

Post Edited By Moderator (Green Grove) : 2/19/2009 9:02:16 AM (GMT-7)

I definitely see the value in cutting back or cutting out caffeine, but I do still enjoy my morning coffee. For me, it's more about the ritual of "Having Coffee" than about the caffeine, so I am able to switch it for decaf when I need to. But, cutting out the ritual actually exacerbates my anxiety some, because then I feel like something is missing. Could be the same with you and your diet soda?

I don't care for diet soda at all, tastewise, but I can definitely understand being attached to something that is a part of your life. Have you tried switching your beverage of choice? Maybe a little bit at a time?

I'll tell you what. I was one person who was addicted to caffeine/soda. I drank Pepsi like non-stop everyday. That was the first thing that I drank when I got up and was the last thing I drank at night. When these panic/anxiety attacks started, I was trying everything to make them stop. Finally, I was reading and it said to cut back on caffeine intake. Well, I was like, "There is no cutting back with me. It's either all or nothing." Needless to say, I cut out all caffeine intake over a matter of a couple of weeks. I was cranky for a while and at times, I still am but the benefits were wonderful. My panic attacks have cut down dramatically. I was having them every single night up until about a week ago. Now I drink water all day and if I want to treat myself, I have a Sprite or something like that. I know it's a hard process to go through but sometimes the benefits are worth it. Take care and we are all here for you!!!