Does caffeine worsen depression?

[Orrex]

Years ago, I managed a sub shop that stayed open pretty late. My typical shift was 5:00pm to 2:30am or so, depending on the volume of business, and I got into the habit of drinking a lot of Coke into those wee hours of the morning. Then, I'd go home and usually stay up until four or five before heading to bed and sleeping until noon or so. I didn't drink any Coke after getting home.

Sometimes, though, I'd feel what I would now describe as an almost crushing depression, typically about an hour or two after leaving the shop, and it eventually got bad enough that I actually had to tell myself that--based on prior episodes--I wouldn't feel it when I awoke. As it turns out, I was always right in this regard, but honestly it didn't make the feeling any easier to bear at the time.

I've never been in any sort of therapy, and I'm not well read on the subject, but I believe that I experienced a range of symptoms associated with depression: sadness, hopelessness, despair, isolation, lethargy, etc., as well as painfully dark introspection.

As I mentioned, the feeling would always be gone by the time I woke up, though it took me quite a few cycles to realize this, and quite a few more until I was able to convince myself of the pattern.

But in spite of all of that, it wasn't until months later that it occurred to me that my caffeine intake might have had something to do with it. I began to wonder if "coming down" from my nightly caffeine binge while at work could have brought on these feelings, or perhaps amplified feelings that were already there at a much lower intensity. I later left that job, and correspondingly my caffeine intake dropped; I also moved to a more reasonable sleep cycle. In any case, these bouts of depression eventually went away but left me wondering at their cause.


I'm glad to report that I haven't really suffered from depression in years, but I'd be very grateful if someone could corroborate my anecdotal observations with a similar experience.


Thanks for reading and for sharing your views.

[mopinko]

1. i think more likely it was the disruption to your sleep patterns.

shift workers are known to suffer from terrible sleep deprivation, even when they seem to be getting enough sleep. being out of tune with your biological clock can definitely cause serious depression.
the caffeine may have exacerbated the problem by undermining your sleep further. but i think it was a symptom, not a cause.

[Orrex]

2. Thanks!

I had a sort of chicken-or-the-egg thing going on, but I couldn't decide which came first.


I think what I remember most clearly is the feeling of hopelessness. It was really debilitating in a way that I simply had never experienced before.


My depression (if, ultimately, that's what it was) was episodic and mercifully short-lived, but I can see how someone forced to endure that feeling for weeks or months or years might be driven to seek a quick resolution.


Thanks for your insights. :hi:

[Forkboy]

6. I do believe you've got it.

Worked 3rd shift for years (and generally loved it), but it messes with everything.

[hedgehog]

3. If you weren't getting much sunlight, your Vitamin D levels were probably

very low at the time, also.

[Orrex]

4. Never thought of that

I was definitely a night-owl, and it's not like my diet was carefully selected by a team of nutritionists, either!


Thanks for your input!

[Forkboy]

5. A regular problem for me when I was working 3rd shift.

Never knew it could mess you up as much as it did. Add to that 3 or 4 Mountain Dews a night... :yikes:

Can't figure out how why I had high blood pressure. :)

[blue neen]

7. You were also probably coming down from a "sugar high."

There are VATS of sugar in Coke. When I quit drinking it (it was the caffeine free), I actually went through withdrawal.