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Caffeine and TMS

Warrior21

Warrior21

Newcomer
Hello everyone! I have a quick question about whether or not you guys think caffeine would worsen symptoms of TMS. Caffeine does not increase my anxiety or disrupt my sleep, but I know caffeine is a stimulant and our goal here is to calm the mind and the nervous system right? So where does caffeine fit into this? I know TMS involves the nervous system, but I am still learning about TMS and it's fairly new to me. Forgive me if this a weird question! I just am unsure if giving up my morning coffee will help with TMS or not be a factor.
 
Giving up coffee is never a bad thing.

It's easy, I've done it a thousand times...lol

Honestly, I think a clean diet can only help. Again, be careful about blaming symptoms in external things, BUT, a good clean diet goes a long way towards health in general.
 
I think it completely depends on the individual. I have friends who can drink coffee all day long and not be affected. For me, I have to limit myself to one cup a day or I'm a nervous uptight wreck! But as you learn more about TMS - you'll get to know your body and sensitivities on a deeper level and you'll just know what the right thing to do is.
 
Hi Warrior,

It's OK, but in moderation, caffeine isn't a contributory factor to TMS. However, I guess any stimulant can make someone more alert and less relaxed as you mention. The goal, is to ultimately keep the mind constantly relaxed for any changes to occur.
 
Warrior21 said:
I know TMS involves the nervous system
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Hi there, Warrior - this is an interesting question, but I can't believe I'm the only responder who picked up on this.

This is important: TMS involves the nervous system ONLY to the extent that we allow our brains to create nervous system symptoms.

The mechanism which produces physical TMS symptoms is 100% about our thoughts - specifically (1) the negative unconscious emotions that our brains want to repress, to be replaced by distracting TMS symptoms, and (2) the negative and fearful thoughts that our brains allow to run around in our consciousness all the time, creating anxiety and depression.

IMHO, there ain't nothin' wrong with caffeine in moderation. I drink two large teas every day, but today I treated myself to a full-caffeine latte and it was divine. I am fully capable of calming my thoughts with or without caffeine. I prefer with. :D
 
Warrior21 said:
Caffeine does not increase my anxiety or disrupt my sleep
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I personally would not stop. Whatever you enjoy doing before you have tms/anxiety, keep doing it. Avoiding anything you have been doing before your symptoms is just making harder to get back to your old self.
People avoid all kind of food now a day. No msg, no gluten, no carb, no trans fat, no cholesterol, no sugar, no..... and those are usually the one who get sick all the time.
Happy mind = healthy body.
worry mind = sick body.
there are estimate that around %80 of patients occupied hospital bed are there due problem that originate from their mind. It is better to nurture our mind than worry about what we should and shouldn't eat.
Just my 2 cents.
 
Well said ....eat what you want drink what you want everything in moderation...worrying about gluten carbs or whatever just bring more stress and anxiety
 
balto said:
I personally would not stop. Whatever you enjoy doing before you have tms/anxiety, keep doing it. Avoiding anything you have been doing before your symptoms is just making harder to get back to your old self.
People avoid all kind of food now a day. No msg, no gluten, no carb, no trans fat, no cholesterol, no sugar, no..... and those are usually the one who get sick all the time.
Happy mind = healthy body.
worry mind = sick body.
there are estimate that around %80 of patients occupied hospital bed are there due problem that originate from their mind. It is better to nurture our mind than worry about what we should and shouldn't eat.
Just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...

Balto, I have to say, I REALLY enjoy all of your post. You seem like a very wise and learned individual.

God bless you my friend.
 
Thanks Mike.
I am a college dropped out, for sure I am not a wise person. My wife will not agree with you on that. Every thing I knew I learned from other. I also learned from this very forum.
Just hope that my posts can somehow help ease someone's pain or help them overcome their ills. Just like I have received helps from many other during my time of ill.
 
balto said:
Thanks Mike.
I am a college dropped out, for sure I am not a wise person. My wife will not agree with you on that. Every thing I knew I learned from other. I also learned from this very forum.
Just hope that my posts can somehow help ease someone's pain or help them overcome their ills. Just like I have received helps from many other during my time of ill.
Click to expand...

Being wise has nothing to do with degrees, I've met plenty of highly educated people with no insight at Uni. You seem to have plenty of it!
That's the thing, though, being open to learn from one another, from our life experiences, from the pain.
 
Simplicity said:
Being wise has nothing to do with degrees, I've met plenty of highly educated people with no insight at Uni. You seem to have plenty of it!
That's the thing, though, being open to learn from one another, from our life experiences, from the pain.
Click to expand...

Exactly, I know alot of educated people, but they are not world learned or with common sense when it comes to the real world.
 
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I gave up coffee and all caffeine years ago when I was in the army. The coffee was so strong it acted on me like a laxative.
Now if I accidentally drink any caffeine I get jumpy.
I haven't missed coffee or any drink with caffeine. I love a cup of hot milk. It is very calming.

Yes, Balto's posts are always wonderful.
 
Its not a weird question at all.

My own take is that if it is causing u no harm & u enjoy it, then continue- why should u give it up. In yr case the enjoyment of the coffee is a pleasurable sensation & probably helps u to relax too.

If it were causing anxiety or if u were drinking it to the detriment of yr health say by drinking too much, then it would be different.

If u give up something u enjoy first thing in the morning, & then crave it the whole day u would end up feeling miserable & yr subconscious wouldn't like that v much so I don't think that would help yr TMS much. It would be like turning coffee into a nocebo.

There r many studies that show 1 or 2 cups of coffee or tea a day actually provide many health benefits. You could look at it that way.

Its what yr mind believes!

Enjoy

Mala
 
Balto, good to see yr great posts here. I was thinking about u on my recent trip to Thailand while eating all that yummy spicy food.

To illustrate the point I was making about the coffee, I'm posting a collage of some of the food I was eating on my trip. We r talking about seriously spicy food & then additional chili on top of that. Many ppl live with the idea that spices cause digestive, pelvic problems, heartburn etc. If that were the case the we would see ppl living in those countries that eat spice suffer greatly but that is not the case.

I was told to lay off spice but it just made me miserable.

So I continued and realised it had nothing to do with my ailments.

It's very easy to put ideas, doubts in ppls minds. A careless phrase can cause much anguish, anxiety & throw ppl off the real track to solving their underlying problems especially if one is a sensitive type.

That's why we should take everything we read, hear, see with a pinch of salt & think rationally about the consequences.

And that is why health care providers really need to think carefully about what they say to patients. It can make a huge difference.

Here's the photo. Most of the red u see is are chilies or chili paste.

@balto it's dedicated to u!
image.jpeg
 
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So today I was cooking and wanted to look something up in a book I have had for decades, called "Kitchen Science" - when the chapter about coffee and tea caught my eye. In Q&A format, one of the questions was "Why does a late night cup of coffee keep some people awake more than others?" The author explained about caffeine tolerance, but then said the following;

"Psychosomatic considerations come into play, too. Chances are you will toss and turn in bed at night if you think that insomnia is the inevitable consequence of a nocturnal cup of coffee"​

LOL, I never thought I would be reminded of mind-body theories when I'm looking for cooking advice!
 
I was a 3 cups coffee drinker for years before I was ill with anxiety. Coffee never did make my anxiety any worst, but I quit due to my doctor's recommendation. After I hear his recommendation, coffee always trigger a panic attack or bad anxiety attack for me. After I learn about tms/anxiety from doctor Sarno and doctor Weekes, I slowly reintroduced coffee into my life, breaking the conditioning, and now back to enjoy my coffee with no problem at all.
 
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