Vakkotaur

It's been about two months since I stopped using caffeine. I've noticed that I feel better, or perhaps I should say that mood cycling is more neutral. I'm not sure if it's due to the absence of caffeine or to other factors.

What happened before was that something would get me down, and I'd seem to stay rather down for some time. When I did feel good, it was all too easy to feel down again. Now, it seems to take more to get me to feel down, and recovery from that is shorter, and perhaps the low isn't as deep. One possible explanation is that giving up caffeine is a sort of poor man's Prozac. Caffeine supposedly affects brain chemistry in a way somewhat opposite of the recent family of anti-depressants. And supposedly some people adjust to this, and others don't quite adjust and are thus sensitive to caffeine's possible pro-depressant effects.

That's one explanation. Another might be a sort of placebo effect. I want something to happen, and so it does, and credit is given to something that changed. I doubt that this is it, as I didn't notice the result (if it is a result) right off. And I've wanted that result for some time. Or maybe I just sleep better. One thing I've noticed is that when first off caffeine, I went to sleep earlier. But now that I've been off it for a while, I'm staying up nearly as late as I did before.

But there are other things, not related to caffeine, that could be having an effect. There was kinkyturtle's visit, and seeing my family at Thanksgiving, seeing Gerry and the team again, and also the upcoming trip for Christmas. These things are changes from routine, and not bad ones. Also I've been actually having something of a breakfast recently, instead of just a multivitamin and water. When I ran out of multivitamins (After not having them for a couple weeks, there is a detectable effect. I'll spare everyone the details.) I didn't get another bottle of them but instead got a box of cereal (since most cereals are gorked up with various vitamins) and have a bit in the morning. It seems to work out. And it's now cold out, not hot and miserable, that could also be a contributing factor.

As noted in the last LJ post, I'm making progress on a project I've neglected, on and off, for a while. Between that and a couple things at work, I have a fair sense of getting things done, which certainly helps my mood.

I'm left wondering how much of what I feel and what I do is due to the absence of caffeine and how much is due to other things. Am I doing some of this stuff because I feel good, or do I feel good because I'm doing this stuff? Both?

I'm not going to suggest anyone else avoid caffeine. I don't know for sure that my ceasing its use is why I feel pretty good. But there's no sense in risking messing things up. I like feeling good, and if all I have to do is avoid caffeine, well, it's a cheap enough price to pay. Pass the icewater.

Or, what is a normal default state? Happiness and sadness both occur and are to be expected. But if a person is sad often and for long time, it might be considered a problem and treated. Part of this treatment can be anti-depressant drugs. But, are there people who are just too happy for too long? Not obsessive, not manic, not hallucinating, but just "too happy" compared to so-called normal people? Do they have some sort of pro-depressants[1] prescribed? Do they get counseling on not being so "up" and all?

I rather doubt it, but it is an interesting thought, looking at it backward from the usual. It's certainly understandable to pick the more pleasant state as the preferred default.

[1]I can't say "depressants" since depressants, as the name is used, are drugs that tend to have a calming effect. These are more anti-anxiety or tranquilizers than something to smooth off the peaks of excess happiness.