When we consume caffeine, it binds to adenosine receptors in the brain, blocking the effects of adenosine, with the side benefit of allowing dopamine to flow more freely. When reinforcers like that are easily accessible and inexpensive, their use may get out of control." The brain boostĬaffeine is chemically similar to the neuromodulator adenosine, which accumulates through the day and induces drowsiness for sleeping at night. People desire the effect and repeat the behavior over and over again. "Caffeine is similar to most other drugs that are reinforcing, which caffeine is. "I wouldn't deny anybody their coffee, but people might benefit from becoming aware that caffeine use has the potential to become a problem and impact their physical or mental health," says Alan Budney, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School. Further, caffeine dependence can become a hard-to-shake habit, leading to a full-blown substance use disorder, research has shown. Caffeine does have its cognitive perks - including boosting alertness, energy and feelings of well-being - but overuse can cause a range of unpleasant side effects, including troubled sleep, jitters, irritability and gastric distress. A 2012 survey conducted on behalf of Dunkin' Donuts and CareerBuilder showed that scientists drink more coffee than any other professional group except food workers.īut while its cultural pervasiveness suggests caffeine is benign, it's actually a powerful psychoactive compound.
It's probably safe to say that caffeine's most popular vehicle, coffee, is a mainstay for many psychology grad students. Manno didn't like having a caffeine dependency, but "the benefits of helping me with my schoolwork outweighed its negative implications for my health," she says.Ĭaffeine is the most widely used drug in the world, consumed by some 80 percent of American adults every day. Within a few weeks, she came to need the coffee for another reason: If she didn't drink it, she became irritable and had migraines. Michelle Manno, who is studying for a master's degree in educational psychology at Hunter College, was facing a spate of all-nighters and gulping down four large cups of coffee each day to stay alert.
Between her health and her schoolwork, something had to give.
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