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Brad Schipke explains that caffeine raises cortisol, the stress hormone already elevated in people with PTSD, making symptoms worse. He suggests trying decaf coffee and experimenting to see what works for you.
Brad Schipke explains that caffeine raises cortisol, the stress hormone already elevated in people with PTSD, making symptoms worse. He suggests trying decaf coffee and experimenting to see what works for you.
Does caffeine make PTSD worse? The answer is yes. And I'm sorry for all you caffeine lovers out there. You don't necessarily need to cut it out 100%, but here's why caffeine actually makes PTSD worse. So we have a hormone in our body called cortisol. Cortisol is otherwise known as the stress hormone. Now, when you have PTSD, that stress hormone is already on high alert all the time. So you're constantly stressed out and your cortisol levels are maxed out. Now, when you drink caffeine, guess what that does? It spikes your cortisol levels up even further beyond what they are with PTSD. So yes, it definitely spikes your symptoms and makes things worse. So you may want to consider switching to decaf coffee, but feel free to test it out for yourself. And I'd love to hear how it affects you in the comments.
