Extreme symptoms of PMO and caffeine withdrawal?

Hi @StepUp28 your story really resonates with me. My life experience is so similar to yours. Having had past anxiety and panic attacks I hadn't had any for years until recently. Then I started having massive anxiety and derealisation. I too had to stop drinking coffee. I sought professional help and we determined that I actually had experienced trauma without even knowing it. After working through this with my therapist I was back to normal much to my relief. The experience was really scary.

I too was terrified that I was going to be permanently stuck this way. The great news is that you will not be permanently stuck this way. Many people experience some form of this and almost all recover. The key is that you must seek therapy, and you must seek it as soon as possible. The sooner the better. Studies have shown that just talking about what's going on begins to unwind the issue and rewire things correctly. The longer you wait the more you risk your brain becoming permanently wired this way.

You can start by looking for licensed social workers (LSW) in your area. Talk to a couple and tell them what's going on and pick the one you get along with best. Tell them everything even if you are embarrassed. They will not judge you. It may cost you money (mine was $150 a visit as my insurance did not cover it). You can talk to the provider ahead of time to see if your insurance covers it. If you do not have health insurance look for opportunities to get help for free as they do exist.

Know that this will be the best money you ever spent and get you back on the right track which is priceless. It saved my life when I was facing the exact issues that you are. Six months later I am healthy and happy.

 

It could be the case. A professional will be able to tell you. All the more reason to see one.

No one on here will be able to tell you. Mental health issues are very complicated and require a professional who has an intimate knowledge of you as a person and what has been going on in your life.

I hate to break it to you but you are at that bridge. Whether you seek help or not is up to you.

 

You should be thanking yourself for drinking coffee. It has highlighted what is most likely an underlying issue. If coffee and PMO caused derealisation a lot of people would be having issues.

If you want my opinion you probably did not address your anxiety fully the first time and coffee just brought it forward again. You need to pull it out by the root with treatment. Trying to fix anxiety yourself is like trying to think your way out of the flu or cancer. You need help you can't do it on your own.

 

Anxiety and derealization etc. can definitely be triggered by caffeine and PMO, yeah, speaking from my own experience and from what I've studied. If you can't give them up right away, I suggest switching to (black or green) tea and MO without any form of stimulation. Then you can see if you can start cutting down and maybe quit completely at some point.

That's my suggestion. You can experiment a bit. Feel free to reply but I'm not on here a lot these days so it might take me a while to get back to you.

 

Hey dude, recovery is different during each streak in my experience. Especially if you're coming off a recent relapse, there's a good chance you're just dealing with some of that awful negativity bubbling up and out of you. I would wager to bet that it's not going to be permanent. If you've been off coffee for 2 full days and you never actually got addicted to it, your anxiety is likely related to PMO and your recent relapse.

I'm on day 47 and just now coming out of a month-long flatline where I felt extreme anxiety, despair, and even suicidal thoughts at various points during that month. Then, just yesterday the clouds opened up and I felt my love for life, enthusiasm, and joy return to me all in the space of an hour or so. That's just how it goes. Eventually you'll come out of that dark valley, it never lasts forever even though it can really play tricks on your mind when it's happening.

Stay away from caffeine if possible, invest in as much exercise as you can, lean on friends and family, meditate, and just stick it out. For as bad as you feel right now, you're earning the right to feel the exact opposite when it's over. That bright and shiny moment is going to hit you and when it does it's just uphill from there. Unless you relapse really bad again.

 

As others have said, it is different for everyone. I'd just offer that going cold turkey on the coffee may not be a wise move, but you are the best judge of that. Hang in there, man. I hope all goes well.