The primary effect of caffeine is to block adenosine from getting to the adenosine receptors, and that hormone is generally associated with sleepiness. So it's kind of like caffeine creates an illusion that removes our awareness of sleepiness.

However this also has a cascade of secondary effects on the central nervous system that leead to things like blood pressure changes, improved lung function, increased cortisol and adrenaline levels, etc. Taken together, these things quite objectively generally result in greater feelings of alertness and energy. And anxiety.

As others have noted one case where it can have more of a calming effect is in people with adhd. It should also be noted that overconsumption of caffeine combined with other poor lifestyle choices quickly leads to chronic fatigue system, at which point no amount of additional caffeine is going to continue being helpful and it just becomes a slog of continuing to take it for no other reason than relief from withdrawal symptoms.

One dose a day is all that should be necessary - ideally taken as early as possible. It should also be noted that for most people in industrialized countries, coffee or tea might be their most significant and pretty much only reliable source of polyphenols.

And lastly don't forget the most important reason for drinking caffeinated beverages: the pooping!

The whole 'giving you energy' thing is a myth, all it does it make you tired without it.

Absolute nonsense. I don't drink coffee or tea, and if I drink a couple cups of coffee I end up with a hundred more tabs in the browser, two programming projects started and abandoned, a hundred notes tagged and reorganized, and a bunch of unnecessary and vaguely mean comments on Reddit and Lemmy. Possibly also a sore leg or shoulder from impromptu exercise.

You need to take control of your caffeine addiction.

Caffeine absolutely does something what are you even talking about. There are thousands of research papers of what caffeine does.

If you're not already addicted, caffeine can definitely pep you up quite a lot. Not in a comfortable way, though, in my opinion

most normalised and profitable drug addiction

Found the Mormon.

well caffeine mostly makes me pee. it's a diuretic which means it makes you pee. that's the thing it's most effective for for me. other side effects include having an easier time shitting because it increases bowel movements. apart from that it is a mild stimulant that maybe makes me a bit more creative. i've observed it a couple of times but it's inconsistent.

I'll be that guy: SUGAR. Just try cutting it out of your life and tell me we're not all hopeless fiends.

all it does it make you tired without it.

Maybe if you're already taking it regularly this is true, but we know that it blocks some adenosine receptors, preventing the buildup of adenosine, which is one component in making us feel sleepy.

Pls tell me this was based on a greentext about anon shoving a hot sauce popsicle up his ass

Except withdrawal of real world problems.

I've heard that the longer you spent smoking before, the longer it takes for your body to readjust to the new happy chemical levels.

Maybe it'll get better for you soon?

Can't escape the caffeine T_T

My anxiety is caused by being a transwoman living in a state without Shield Laws.

I felt this last week when I switched to unsweetened tea and had no sugar/caffeine. It sucks.