Caffeine affects more than one system in our body, but it mostly affects the central nervous system. Caffeine is found not only in coffee but also in energy drinks, cola, black tea, green tea and matcha tea.
Caffeine can cause difficulty falling asleep, loss of deep and quality sleep, increased alertness, increased energy, and increased attention. It may increase stomach acidity. Consuming large amounts has a stimulating and revitalizing effect. With this stimulating effect, palpitations, sweating, nervousness, breathing difficulties, heart rhythm disturbances, tremors and increased anxiety may occur. If the individual already has panic disorder, excessive caffeine consumption can increase the severity and number of panic attacks and trigger them. Therefore, it becomes important to limit caffeine consumption to a certain extent during the treatment of panic attacks.
Since studies on plants are not at the level of scientific evidence, it is necessary to avoid making harsh comments. However, it is beneficial to limit green tea and matcha tea, which have high caffeine levels, due to their caffeine content. Chamomile tea, especially lemon balm tea, has a partial relaxing effect if brewed properly, provided that the dose does not exceed 1-2 cups per day.
Smoking increases anxiety by activating the sympathetic nervous system part of the autonomic nervous system. This effect may be more pronounced, especially when smoking consecutive cigarettes, early in the morning, on an empty stomach and late in the evening, and when consumed with caffeine. In addition, smoking has a different effect on people who use psychiatric medication in the treatment of panic disorder. Some chemicals in cigarette smoke affect the cytochrome P450 enzyme system in the liver. This cytochrome P450 enzyme system is also the system in which psychiatric drugs used for panic disorder are metabolized and processed. Smoking accelerates the functioning of this system by increasing its metabolism. In other words, it causes more drugs metabolized through this system to be eliminated from the body. In summary, in smokers, especially those who regularly consume more than 10 cigarettes a day, the effects of some psychiatric drugs decrease as their blood levels decrease. ir. For this reason, smoking has a two-pronged negative effect on panic attacks.
Alcohol intake increases the Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter substance. Inhibitory neurotransmitter has anxiety-reducing properties. In other words, with the increase in GABA immediately after drinking alcohol, it calms anxiety and physical symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, etc. with its inhibitory effect. This initially appears to be a positive situation for treating panic disorder. However, alcohol does not reduce anxiety in the process, on the contrary, it increases it. Many people with panic disorder may initially turn to alcohol to calm their complaints. Even though it may seem like a very logical coping strategy at first, as alcohol is withdrawn from the blood, that is, as the alcohol in the blood decreases, the reverse attacks increase. The person drinks alcohol again to relieve these symptoms. If the situation continues like this, alcohol use will increase, the person will resort to regular alcohol use to calm panic attacks, and alcohol-related problems will arise. Therefore, regulating alcohol use should be taken into consideration when planning panic attack treatment. Another feature about alcohol is that sudden cessation of alcohol can trigger panic attacks in people who use alcohol regularly and heavily.
Some drugs, especially stimulant drugs, can trigger panic attacks. Chief among these are cocaine and LSD. However, sometimes even marijuana has the ability to trigger panic attacks in people who are prone to it.
Regular and healthy nutrition is important for general health, but it is also important for the good course of panic attacks. Blood sugar irregularities can trigger attacks through various mechanisms. It is important to eat less frequently, consume seasonal foods, and drink plenty of water. It is important that foods rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 include fish. Consuming fresh fish, especially in season, and salmon and tuna out of season, is important in this regard. Walnuts and flax seeds are also strong supports in this regard. Omega-3 and 6 enrich neurons, that is, brain cells, by preventing oxidative damage, protecting membranes, and strengthening cognitive functions. Also It has protective properties against cardiovascular diseases. It is important to consume foods rich in Omega-3 content in the diet, and also to supplement vitamins B12, D and Magnesium with external intake if they are deficient in our body.
It is known that the gut microbiota plays a strong role in our health. With unhealthy nutrition, pathogenic (disease-causing, bad) bacteria increase in the intestinal microbiota. And these leak into the intestine, creating chronic inflammation (infection). It is stated that this is a factor that causes psychiatric diseases. On the contrary, there are beneficial bacteria in the intestine. A healthy diet that encourages their growth can be good for psychiatric conditions by reducing chronic inflammation. Sugar, carbohydrates, and saturated fatty acids disrupt the balance of intestinal bacteria, increase harmful bacteria, and can trigger chronic inflammation and psychiatric diseases. Eating healthy, consuming probiotics, and avoiding obesity increases beneficial bacteria, prevents inflammation, and reduces susceptibility to psychiatric diseases.
Regular, high-quality, healthy sleep is important for our psychology. Regular and quality sleep ensures healthy melatonin release. This is essential in the treatment of all psychiatric diseases. Therefore, maintaining sleep patterns facilitates the recovery of many psychiatric conditions. Especially if treatment is given to conditions such as difficulty in falling asleep, changes in sleep cycles day and night, that is, going to bed too late at night and sleeping during the day, waking up unintentionally early in the morning, frequent interruptions of sleep for no reason, and sleepiness during the day, it will also have a positive effect in terms of panic attacks.
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