Does Coffee Help with Anxiety?

June 27, 2025

Authored by: Taylor Shaw, B.S.

Edited by: Kristian Concepcion, AMFT

Because caffeine is a stimulant, it activates the central nervous system, and it does not help with anxiety. Instead, in excess or in individuals with anxiety, caffeine consumption can lead to raised blood pressure, heightened heart rate, panic attacks, feeling jittery, increased anxiety levels, or worsened symptoms of anxiety. For the average individual, caffeine use is not detrimental in moderation, and can help combat drowsiness and fatigue, enhancing dopamine receptors in the brain.

Even in someone who does not regularly experience anxiety, the side effects of caffeine can include jitters, shakiness, heart palpitations, and increased anxiety levels. If you or a loved one are regularly experiencing symptoms of anxiety, or if you have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, it’s recommended to monitor your caffeine intake. Too much caffeine may make it harder to walk through an anxiety disorder or panic disorder on a day to day basis.

If you’re interested in learning more about anxiety treatment with AMFM Mental Health Treatment, click here, or continue reading to learn more about how caffeine affects anxiety.

Anxiety and Caffeine

When an individual with anxiety drinks too many caffeinated beverages, they are likely to increase the severity of their anxiety symptoms, and may increase the likelihood of a panic attack.

There have been quite a few studies on the effects of coffee or caffeine on individuals diagnosed with panic disorders or anxiety disorders. One study found that at doses roughly equivalent to 5 cups of coffee induces panic attacks in a large proportion of panic disorder patients and highly discriminates this population from healthy adults.¹ This study also found that caffeine also increases anxiety in panic disorder patients as well as among healthy adults at these doses although the exact relationship between caffeine-induced anxiety and panic attacks remains uncertain.²

In a randomized, double-blind, single-dose crossover study, researchers reviewed the effect of 250 mg of caffeine and 500 mg of caffeine on performance. The lower dose of caffeine actually enhanced performance on the digit symbol substitution test and a tapping speed test compared to placebo; high-dose caffeine produced less performance enhancement than the lower dose.³ This kind of study indicates that at a certain point, the effects of caffeine become counterproductive.

Caffeine, like other psychoactive and stimulant substances, can also induce abuse and dependence, and can be dangerous for adolescents who are still developing cognitively.⁴

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More about Caffeine

Caffeine is a naturally occurring central nervous system stimulant belonging to the methylxanthine class and is widely recognized as the most utilized psychoactive stimulant worldwide.⁵ Caffeine naturally occurs in coffee beans, tea leaves, kola nuts, yerba maté, guarana plants and cacao pods. Once extracted, it’s added to a variety of beverages for the purpose of combatting sleepiness and stimulating the brain. Some common sources of caffeine include energy drinks, coffee, espresso, tea, soft drinks, and more.

Average Caffeine Intake

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the approved healthy amount of caffeine consumption cited 400 milligrams of caffeine a day — that’s about two to three 12-fluid-ounce cups of coffee — as an amount not generally associated with negative effects.⁶ However, for an individual living with anxiety disorders or other medical or mental health conditions, the amount of caffeine they can comfortably use may vary. Each person’s neurological system may react differently to caffeine–in the same way that people with anxiety often need to try different SSRIs and SNRIs to see which has the greatest impact on their individual neurotransmitters–each person’s nervous system interacts differently with caffeine.

The Truth About Decaffeinated Beverages

Surprisingly, decaffeinated is not the same as caffeine-free. In the cases of naturally caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee, decaffeinated coffee and decaf teas may still contain trace amounts of caffeine. For example, decaf coffee typically has 2 to 15 milligrams in an 8-fluid-ounce cup.

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Short-Term Strategies to Calm Anxiety

Whether or not you are experiencing caffeine-induced anxiety, anxiety symptoms can be deeply uncomfortable, and it makes sense to need relaxation techniques in the moment. If you’re looking for mental health treatment to help with anxiety management, don’t hesitate to reach out today.

Grounding Techniques

Grounding techniques can be helpful to break the cycle of anxious thoughts when you or your loved one might feel an anxiety attack coming on. One simple but effective grounding technique is the 5-4-3-2-1 method: name five things you see, four things you can touch, three things you hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This practice can help you acknowledge your surroundings and get you out of your head’s negative thought cycles.⁷

Breathing Exercises

There are a variety of breathing techniques and deep breathing exercises that are helpful when your anxiety symptoms feel overwhelming or out of control. One simple deep breathing exercise is to use a count to five as you breathe in, hold it for four counts, then release it for five counts, and repeat until you begin to feel yourself relax.

Physical Stimulation

Physical stimulation can help you to jump start your body out of the fight-or-flight physical response of anxiety. Taking a cold shower, splashing your face with cold water, tasting sour candy, going for a run (and other types of physical activity) are all ways to trick your body into remembering that it is in a safe place.

Expressive Arts

Wellness activities like yoga, journaling, making playlists, art therapy and more can help build the mind-body connection through a more holistic healing process.

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What is Anxiety Mental Health Treatment Like?

In a mental health treatment center, the day-to-day may vary depending upon your diagnoses and personalized treatment plan, but it will often consist of some combination of individual therapy sessions, group therapy sessions, psychiatry services, and more. AMFM Mental Health Treatment combines holistic and evidence-based mental health services in order to help each person overcome their particular obstacles and mental health conditions for greater overall well-being.

Group Therapy

Group therapy sessions can be used to help provide structured times to help you understand that you are not alone in your struggles, offering peer support, and the reminder that others are also walking through these challenges. At the same time, groups provide guidance from qualified mental health professionals, with suggestions and communication from psychologists with specialized backgrounds. These groups can span a variety of backgrounds, including but not limited to art therapy, somatic therapy, and narrative therapy.⁸

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that’s focused on restructuring and reprogramming maladaptive and negative thought processes. Psychologists are trained to help adults and young adults change their cognitive and emotional processes in order to outgrow maladaptive coping mechanisms.⁹

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is most commonly referred to as “talk therapy,” and is designed to help process emotions. Qualified professionals offer psychological therapy to move forward with healthy ways of engaging in interpersonal relationships and alleviating physical and emotional distress.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

EMDR Therapy is a renowned method of reprocessing most often used in trauma therapy. By activating the prefrontal cortex through a series of bilateral stimulation, qualified mental health professionals can lead you through traumatic experiences, helping you to alleviate the distress symptomized by trauma.¹⁰

Crisis Intervention and Stabilization Services

A crisis is defined by the National Library of Medicine “as an overwhelming event, which can include divorce, violence, the passing of a loved one, or the discovery of a serious illness.”¹¹ The goal of crisis intervention is to provide safety and reduce any potential harm to an individual undergoing a crisis.

Family Therapy

AMFM Mental Health Treatment offers family therapy through virtual family support groups that provide a dedicated time for families to engage in supportive and constructive interactions, fostering stronger relationships, and enhancing the overall treatment experience. Recovery takes a village, and it’s often helpful for family members to be involved in behavioral growth.

Additional Mental Health Disorders for Treatment

AMFM Mental Health Treatment has extensive experience treating a variety of mental health conditions–through evidence-based therapies, support groups, mental health resources and more–including but not limited to the following:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Depression
Eating Disorders
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Crisis & Traumatic Events
ADHD
Bipolar Disorder
Mood Disorders
Panic Disorder / Panic Attacks
Psychosis
Phobias
Schizophrenia

Recovery can feel isolating; mental health programming can provide treatment options and mental health benefits to help you or your loved one as you move forward.

Citations

Lisa Klevebrant, Andreas Frick, Effects of caffeine on anxiety and panic attacks in patients with panic disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis, General Hospital Psychiatry, Volume 74, 2022, Pages 22-31, ISSN 0163-8343, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2021.11.005. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163834321001614)

Kaplan, G. B., Greenblatt, D. J., Ehrenberg, B. L., Goddard, J. E., Cotreau, M. M., Harmatz, J. S., & Shader, R. I. (1997). Dose‐dependent pharmacokinetics and psychomotor effects of caffeine in humans. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 37(8), 693–703. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1552-4604.1997.tb04356.x

Cappelletti S, Piacentino D, Sani G, Aromatario M. Caffeine: cognitive and physical performance enhancer or psychoactive drug? Curr Neuropharmacol. 2015 Jan;13(1):71-88. doi: 10.2174/1570159X13666141210215655. Erratum in: Curr Neuropharmacol. 2015;13(4):554. Daria, Piacentino [corrected to Piacentino, Daria]. PMID: 26074744; PMCID: PMC4462044.

Evans J, Richards JR, Battisti AS. Caffeine. [Updated 2024 May 29]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519490/

Commissioner, O. of the. (2024, August 28). Spilling the beans: How much caffeine is too much?. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much

Smith, Sara. “BHP Blog – Behavioral Health Partners (BHP).” BHP Blog – Behavioral Health Partners (BHP) – University of Rochester Medical Center, 10 April 2018, https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/behavioral-health-partners/bhp-blog/april-2018/5-4-3-2-1-coping-technique-for-anxiety. Accessed 9 April 2025.

“Psychotherapy: Understanding group therapy.” American Psychological Association, 31 October 2019, https://www.apa.org/topics/psychotherapy/group-therapy. Accessed 20 February 2025.

“APA Dictionary of Psychology.” APA Dictionary of Psychology, https://dictionary.apa.org/cognitive-behavior-therapy. Accessed 20 February 2025.

“What is EMDR?” EMDR Institute, https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/. Accessed 20 February 2025.

MA, Carlberg K. “Crisis Intervention – StatPearls.” NCBI, 24 April 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559081/. Accessed 20 February 2025.