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At The Caffeinated Brain, scientific and medical experts address caffeine’s potential to induce symptoms of mental illness in healthy people.

Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance on Earth. Approximately 80% of people worldwide ingest caffeine daily, while an estimated 50% of people worldwide experience a mental disorder by age 75. Studies suggest that there may be significant overlap between these figures, and that many people diagnosed as mentally ill are simply suffering from caffeinism.

Caffeine may also exacerbate symptoms of organic, non–caffeine-induced mental illness.

As a small, lipid-soluble molecule (like alcohol, nicotine, and certain antidepressants), caffeine is one of the few substances capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier. This barrier is critical to maintaining the brain’s physical and chemical balance. Once caffeine has penetrated the blood-brain barrier, it can distort its victims’ perceptions and behavior, potentially to an alarming degree.

Because anosognosia (loss of self-awareness) is an early feature of brain dysfunction, caffeinism victims may not suspect that they are ill or recognize caffeine as the cause of their symptoms.

This site aims to alert the public to the dangers of caffeine intake, and to urge the medical community to eliminate caffeine from patients’ diets before diagnosing them with neuropsychiatric disorders including anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADD/ADHD, mania, depression, schizophrenia and dementia.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

Important: The information on this website is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Readers should review the information carefully with their healthcare provider. In certain cases caffeine is the sole cause of symptoms that mimic those of mental illness — symptoms that may vanish when caffeine is eliminated from the system. But caffeine is also known to exacerbate organic mental disorders, in which case withdrawing from caffeine (if recommended by a healthcare provider) is only one step toward improving your health. Whether or not you have been diagnosed with any of the illnesses caffeinism mimics, be sure to consult with a healthcare provider before acting on the information on this website. If you believe you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.